The Prophecies
by jamcreynolds
Summary: After tragedy strikes, Hermione discovers that not only is she not who she thought she was, a prophesy was made decades ago about her role in the war. Will she be able to accept her new reality and fight the good fight? Will her friends have her back through the harsh truths that surface? Set in fifth year, AU after Goblet of Fire. Triad fic.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Here it is, my new story! I tell you, I struggled with a name for this story and couldn't come up with anything better. Then it became a problem because I couldn't figure out if it was "prophesy" or "prophecy". Thank goodness for Google! Anyways, I know this first chapter isn't going to be the longest, but I should have the next up in a day or so. Happy reading, my lovelies!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters so far in this story. Even though I've never personally read a story quite like this one, I'm sure something similar has been done before.

Chapter 1

Prologue

November 3, 1979

Severus steepled his hands under his chin as he sat at the table in his dining room at Spinner's End. He knew he could afford better accommodations, he had the Prince fortune at his complete beck and call if he so chose. He simply didn't see the point. He was rarely home and when he was, all he did was sleep. As much as he hated to admit it, most of his time was spent pillaging and spreading terror in the name of the Dark Lord.

He was certain that he had found a family with the Death Eaters. He had been excited to join their ranks after Lily had cut him from her life. He wanted the same closeness he had with her, but with someone that would return his feelings, even if it was in a non-romantic way.

He had been sorely disappointed, however. The Death Eaters were a cutthroat group that cared nothing for their fellow brothers. It was an every man for himself situation that Severus was somewhat accustomed to because of the Slytherin common room, but overall was disappointed in.

Dumbledore had sent him an owl and told him that they needed to meet. These meetings usually didn't mean good things for him since Dumbledore wanted information or for him to complete some task that would get him killed.

Severus had turned spy for the Order at the beginning of August. He didn't like the rape, torture, or murder that he was forced to commit under the Dark Lord's orders, but he had learned to cope with it. Until the end of July, however.

Severus had been sent on a mission to apprehend the Bones family. Amelia Bones was an up and coming Auror, in fact, it was passed along that she would someday be in line for the head of the D.M.L.E. The Dark Lord had decided to be preemptive and try to woo Amelia to his side. A department head in his pocket would have been very helpful to the cause.

Severus had been leading the mission and had managed to secure Edgar Bones and his wife, along with their five children. His "brothers" held them all at wand point until Amelia had arrived for dinner. When Severus had delivered the Dark Lord's ultimatum, Amelia had not broken or swayed to their side even a little. She had spit on his robes and told him to burn in hell.

Even though their orders had been to bring all the Bones back if she didn't accept the offer, Selwyn and Jugson had started killing the hostages. Severus had done everything he could to save some of them, he knew that the Dark Lord would surely kill them all if he lost the opportunity before them. However, when Severus had finally restrained his counterparts, everyone but the youngest daughter was dead. Amelia ran forward, snatched the tiny infant girl, and disappeared with a pop.

Selwyn and Jugson had paid dearly for their actions. Both had lost their wives to being victims of a revel due to their ignorance. When the Dark Lord had viewed the memories of the event, he had seen Severus' actions trying to stop the disaster from happening. Even though it still earned his Master's displeasure, his punishment wasn't nearly as severe.

A muggle girl that could have been Lily's twin was brought in. Severus had been ordered to rape, torture, and kill the young girl, despite the fact that she couldn't have been more than sixteen. Even though Severus had complied with his Master's wishes and inflicted the complete and utter pain and humiliation upon the girl, he knew he was done.

He had left the Dark Lord's presence and immediately gotten sick. His vomiting had lasted hours and when he was finished, he knew exactly what he would do. He had decided to go to Dumbledore and beg for mercy, beg for him to hide him away from the Dark Lord.

The meeting hadn't gone quite like he had wished. Dumbledore had been more than amenable to helping the Slytherin, but he had wanted the man to spy for him in return. Severus had almost turned it down, but in the end had agreed. Even though Lily was already married to his greatest enemy, he hoped the fact that he was a spy would greatly impress her. All the witches in Slytherin House had discussed that their romance novels always contained a brave hero that saved the day and won the witch. That was what he wanted most in the world.

Lily had been impressed. She had smiled at him again and told him how unbelievably brave he was. Then she had backed away and returned to Potter. Even though that wasn't what he wanted, it was a good start.

He was sure that Dumbledore wanted to speak of the prophecy again. He had overheard the prophecy being told by the crazy hint Trelawney through the door at the Hogshead during her interview with Dumbledore. He wasn't sure what Dumbledore's fascination with it was, but he assumed that it had to do with the fact that he had told the Dark Lord.

Severus heaved a deep sigh and stood from the table. He might as well get the meeting out of the way. Who knew who he would possibly see while he was there. He made his way into his back yard, the rancid smells that he associated with Spinner's End and Cokeworth drifting on the breeze. He didn't bother to lock his home since the wards around it kept it from being seen or touched by anyone he didn't deem fit. He disappeared with a near-silent pop.

He appeared at Hogwart's gates. They opened immediately for him which meant that Dumbledore was waiting for him, probably impatiently. He strode through the gates and made his way towards the castle.

It took him several minutes before he reached the Entrance Hall and he didn't hesitate in opening them wide to enter. It was well after midnight so there shouldn't be any students out of bed to see his arrival. Severus wasted no time in heading for the second floor where Dumbledore's office was located.

The griffin that guarded the Headmaster's office leapt out of the way at his arrival, another indicator that Dumbledore was waiting on him. He sniffed imperiously at the statue as he entered the office.

Dumbledore's office had always annoyed him. It was cram-packed full of trinkets and gizmos that had no use whatsoever. While he was sure that it was whimsical and guests to the office were made to feel dreamy, Severus found it highly impractical. Dumbledore stood from behind his desk and graciously offered one of the seats in front of his desk.

"Please sit, Severus. We have a matter of utmost importance to discuss." Severus didn't speak, just merely nodded as he took the seat offered him. Dumbledore gestured towards the candy dish on his desk.

"Lemon drop with our tea?" A tea service appeared in front of them and Dumbledore leaned forward to serve them. Severus shook his head as he took the tea offered to him.

"No, Headmaster." Dumbledore chuckled softly.

"Enough of that Headmaster business. We're colleagues now so it's Albus." Severus nodded as he took a sip. The tea was deliciously hot and pooled in his stomach, the warmth spreading to his chilled limbs.

"What was so urgent, Albus?" The Headmaster heaved a deep sigh and set his teacup down. He steeped his fingers underneath his chin in much the same pose as Severus had held earlier that night. When he spoke, his voice was more tired than Severus had ever heard it.

"I have to take her, Severus. I can't leave her where she's at." Severus startled at his words. Why did Dumbledore think he had the right to move her? His features hardened and his voice became steel.

"What makes you think you need to move her?" Dumbledore sighed again and for some reason, this irritated Severus to no end. He would willingly admit that the Headmaster was almost always right, but that didn't mean that he couldn't make mistakes. Dumbledore looked at his lap abd began to massage his temples with his withered hands.

"Do you trust me, Severus?" He already knew he wasn't going to like the answer he was going to get. He raked his hand through his shoulder-length black hair, a rare show of emotion that he normally didn't allow himself.

"Yes, Albus, I do trust you. That doesn't mean I don't want an answer." Dumbledore gave him a small smile.

"I know you do, Severus, but trust me when I say I can't tell you. It's far too important for it to be leaked in a moment of torture when your shields may inadvertently drop." Severus hung his head. He had had a feeling that the Headmaster might say something like that. He resigned himself to the fact that Dumbledore was going to do what he wanted regardless of what Severus said or did.

"What will you do with her?" Dumbledore began to run his fingers through the length of his long beard.

"I have a family chosen for her. They've agreed to take her in. I'll place glamours on her that can't be broken unless her magic deems it necessary or she comes of age." Severus once again heaved a deep sigh.

"Do I get any say in this decision?" Dumbledore gave him a kindly smile.

"You know you can't, Severus. The less you know the better." He felt his heart clench at exactly what this meant. He lowered his face so his long hair would fall in a curtain, hiding the pained expression on his face.

"Will they treat her well? Will they love her as she deserves?" Dumbledore nodded as he spoke.

"I swear it, Severus. I'll swear it on my magic." He raised his head to meet the Headmaster's gaze.

"See that you make sure of it. If I discover otherwise, I'll kill them and not feel the tiniest amount of remorse." Dumbledore nodded as he stood, indicating the conversation was over.

"I understand, Severus. That was all I needed to discuss with you for the time being. I hate to kick you out, but I still have another Order member coming in to meet with me." Severus stood and made his way to the door. At the last second he turned and made eye contact one last time.

"She is my world, Albus. Don't make me regret this." The older man nodded, but didn't speak.

Severus saw himself out of the office and out of Hogwarts entirely. He was numb when he finally reached the gates. With a deep breath, he disappeared with a pop.

Severus was now in the worst mood imaginable. He slammed the door wide open and went straight to the cabinet. With a growl, he withdrew two bottles of firewhiskey.

Without a second thought to anything else going on his life, he cracked open the seal to the first bottle and took a long drink.

Severus was going to spend the next several hours drowning his heartbreak in firewhiskey, Dumbledore and the Dark Lord be damned.

A/N- There she is, kids. The next chapter will be out in a day or two, but after that I make no guarantee on a definitive update schedule. I'm going to shoot for once every week or two, but my life's about to get crazy. Daughter is getting ready to have foot surgery, I'll be picking up extra hours at work, and am going to be hosting a welcome home party for my friend coming home from deployment. Have patience with me y'all!

Next chapter we meet Hermione and the ball gets to rolling. Leave me your thoughts, I love them so.

Love,

Alicia


	2. Chapter 2

A/N- I'm back, y'all! I know that last chapter wasn't the longest, but it was groundwork that had to be laid. I've worked out the outline so far and it's sitting at 49 chapters. I'm sure my muse will come out and play and it might end up longer, so don't take this number as gospel.

To everyone that has already followed, favorited, read, and reviewed already, you're the freaking bomb. Y'all are what keeps me motivated. Anyways, enough of this chatter, I can't wait to get started on this chapter!

Disclaimer: Jake and Miranda Granger belong to me (well, possibly. I've heard so many different names for Hermione's parents that these very well could have been used before.) as does Isobel Cockney. The rest of the characters belong to the lovely J.K.R. All hail our queen.

Chapter 2

July 13, 1995

Hermione was enjoying her vacation to the fullest. She had arrived at King's Cross on the fifteenth of June, school having been dismissed early due to the incident in the graveyard regarding Harry and the Triwizard Tournament Cup. She had begged Dumbledore to let Harry return to Grimmauld Place, the Burrow, or even home with her, but he had flat out refused and told her that it just wasn't possible. When she pushed for answers, Harry had become slightly embarrassed, but she didn't care. Harry had no business going back to the Dursley's for another holiday of mistreatment, abuse, and neglect after what he had gone through. Or ever if you asked Hermione's opinion.

Dumbledore had seemed completely nonplussed at her borderline rude questioning. She knew that she should show her Headmaster more respect, but she struggled with the concept when it resulted in her very best friend having to endure his holidays rather than enjoy them. Sirius had been the only one in the room who hadn't gotten offended or embarrassed by her line of questioning.

Dumbledore had explained for the first time to Harry, Ron, and Hermione about the sacrifice of Lily Potter and how her love for Harry embedded itself in her very blood. This meant that it was in Petunia Dursley's blood as well since she was Lily's sister. Harry would be protected from those that would harm him because he was with his mother's blood. It sounded wooly at best to Hermione, but there really wasn't much she could do about it when everyone else seemed to believe the Headmaster's word as gospel.

Therefore, she had hugged her best friend fiercely when they reached King's Cross and made him promise to write her the second the muggles were mean to him. She vowed that she would find a way to fix it, but she had a feeling that he had made her an empty promise.

In true form, Hermione had finished all her holiday homework within the first week of her vacation. Her parents had always been fascinated with her homework as it was their only true representation of the fact that their daughter could use magic. Sure, they recalled the accidental magic she had first started displaying at eighteen months old. They had witnessed all the weird occurrences in their lives that originated from their daughter, but since she had started school and gained control over her magic, they had no tangible proof except for her homework.

In the time since she had finished her homework, Hermione and her parents had visited every major museum in the London area and had been to the London Zoo twice. While she adored museums and art and things of the like, the London Zoo was her all-time favorite.

When she had been younger, all the children that were her age had been well aware that she was different. Hermione had done her level best to fit in and play what the other children always wanted to even though they weren't particularly an interest to her, but it had never worked. She had learned before she even went to school that nobody wanted to be friends with her.

Therefore, the young Gryffindor had turned to books and animals. Hermione had always adored animals because they never judged and they never held your mistakes against you. It didn't matter to animals that she was so largely different from her peers. If she loved and fed them, they loved and accepted her in return.

Her parents had allowed her several cats and one dog throughout her younger years. They had bought her a season pass for the London Zoo every year since she had turned six, and she had been there so much that all the zookeepers there knew her by name. Her parents had also done what every little girl dreamed of. They had bought her her own horse.

Hermione had been six when she had received Bluebell. The grey appaloosa had been twelve years old when her parents had purchased her, but she was a perfect horse for a young child that would be learning how to ride. The young girl would ride the bus to the stables every day after school and ride Bluebell for several hours under the watchful eyes of the many instructors employed there until her parents got off work and came to pick her up.

Hermionr had enjoyed four wonderful years with her horse before the aged beast had died peacefully in her sleep. Hermione had been heartbroken and had cried like a baby, but she had been reassured by everyone that dying in her sleep was the best way to go and that Hermione had made sure that her last several years had been the best of her life.

Her parents had told her that they would be more than willing to purchase her another steed, but it had been to early. It would have felt like a betrayal. This actually worked out well because it was only three months after Bluebell's unexpected passing that she received her Hogwart's letter.

All in all, her summer thus far had been wonderful.

Hermione had heard from Harry several times. He never told her that his horrid relatives were mistreating him in any way, but she supposed he was probably keeping it from her so she wouldn't worry or make a scene. As much as she loved the fact that he cared enough about her to not want her to worry, it also angered her because she knew that they were being terrible and he was simply lying to her.

Harry had told her that he had alreast finished his holiday homework as well, that he was now rereading his text books from last year because he truly had nothing better to do. If he had been anywhere other than at the Dursley's, she would have asked him if he was sick or polyjuiced.

Ron had written her a grand total of once this summer. Truthfully, she wasn't surprised, but she still would have welcomed a more frequent writing partner. Just because she had friends at Hogwarts didn't mean that she had friends at home. When her parents were at work, she was still quite lonely.

It was for this reason that she was laying outside on a patio chair in her bikini. The pool was moderately sized and she could say that it was probably the second best thing about being home in the summertime. The phone was at her side, along with her wand and a glass of lemonade. A book about advanced properties used in Arithmancy was propped up against her knees.

The sun was beating down on her bronzed skin, warming her completely. She never had to worry about getting burnt by the sun's strong rays because of a handy little spell she had found while flipping through a random charms book in the library her third year. It was a spell that you cast over yourself once every six months and kept the sun from burning you. It would tan you until you looked like you were a native from Mexico, but you wouldn't burn. It had saved her hide many times over her last summer at home.

Therefore, she felt no anxiety when her eyes grew heavy and she set her book to the side next to her wand. A nap in the hot sun suited her just fine and she would probably grow even tanner. While she didn't consider herself a vain witch by any means, she could admit if only to herself that being tan made her look older and more mature. It was completely possible that it was all in her head, but she didn't mind.

Hermione was startled out of her light doze by the phone ringing next to her head. She sat up straighter and put the phone to her ear, wondering who in the world would be calling knowing that her parents were usually at work during the day.

"Hello?" She smiled when she heard her parent's oldest secretary, Isobel Cockney, respond.

"Hermione?" She didn't wait for Hermione to respond.

"I need you to get dressed. I'll be there to get you in five minutes." Hermione could feel the confusion cloud her features.

"What's going on, Isobel?" The older woman sighed heavily.

"Your parents were on their way home to have lunch with you. As they pulled out of the office, they were hit by a drunk driver. They've both been taken to the hospital and I'm not sure what their statuses are." Hermione felt her heart stop at Isobel's words.

Her parents had to be fine. There was just no other reality that Hermione could imagine where they weren't alive and supporting her in every move she made. They had been her only friends for so long that she couldn't bear the thought of losing them now.

Hermione didn't bother saying goodbye. She hung up and leapt up off the patio chair, grasping her wand and shoving it through her messy bun. She didn't even bother to change out of her bikini; she threw on her cover up and jean shorts that she had worn outside and slid her feet into flip flops. She knew she looked like a bum, but she didn't care at the moment. What mattered was getting to her parents as soon as possible.

The Gryffindor decided to wait on the porch for Isobel. She grabbed the 20£ note that her mother had left on the counter for her and crammed it in her back pocket along with her identification, just in case someone questioned who she was to her parents. The door slammed shut behind her and she waited impatiently for Isobel to arrive.

When the beat up Ford Fiesta pulled up in her driveway, Hermione was already bolting across her yard so she could jump in the passenger seat. Isobel didn't say a word, but backed out and started for the hospital. It was only a ten minute drive, but to Hermione, it felt like ten years.

Both women were out of the car quicker than a snitch once they were parked in emergency parking. They rushed inside and stood at the desk, waiting impatiently for the receptionist to come help them. When the young woman came to see what they needed, Hermione spoke quickly.

"I need to know about my parent's Jake and Miranda Granger. They were brought in by ambulance in the last half hour." The receptionist held her finger aloft and pointed towards the waiting room.

"I'll let the doctor know that you're here and need a report as soon as he's able to get away." Hermione nodded dejectedly.

She and Isobel took seats next to each other and laced their fingers together. It seemed like ages had passed by without anyone coming in the waiting room at all. After probably half an hour, a young woman with a small baby on her chest came in and took her seat across from Hermione. She rocked the infant softly against her breast and gave Hermione and Isobel a reassuring smile but remained silent.

It was well over an hour before a middle-aged man in green scrubs came into the waiting room and beckoned for the pair to follow him. His name tag said Dr. Karl Green and he looked exhausted. When they finally reached a cozy office, he held his arm out, inviting them to come in and take a seat.

Hermione took the first seat available and Isobel right next to her. The doctor took a seat behind the desk and he rubbed his temples for a moment before he began.

"What are your relations to Mr. and Mrs. Granger?" Hermione scooted further out to the edge of her seat.

"I'm Hermione Granger. I'm their almost sixteen year old daughter. This is Isobel Cockney, a close family friend of my parents." The man leaned forward and folded his hands together on the desk.

"The first bit of news is the worst. Your father's heart was punctured by a piece of metal in their car. When we tried to remove it, the damage was too extensive to fix. Even if he hadn't bled out on the operating table, we wouldn't have been able to save him in time. He's gone. I'm so, so sorry for your loss." Hermione felt numb. She couldn't bring herself to react though. She needed to remain strong and decide just how her mother was. They could grieve together.

"What of my mother?" The doctor wiped his hands down his face before he met her eyes.

"Your mother is critical. She's conscious, but we haven't given her long. Both her kidneys were completely crushed. She needs at least one to survive. If they had just been damaged we could have bought her time, but there's nothing there but bleeding tissue. She needs a kidney and fast. We've put her on the list for a donor, but I doubt she'll receive one in time. I'm sorry." Hermione felt hope flare in her heart.

"I'll donate a kidney. Please, take one of mine." The doctor seemed to study her, perhaps to see just how serious she was. Isobel tightened her grip on Hermione's hand when the doctor spoke.

"You'll need to get a blood test first of all to make sure that you're even a match. If you are, then we'll have to have your mother sign a waiver." Hermione nodded and stood.

"Where do we do this? You made this sound like it needed to happen yesterday." Dr. Green stood and gestured for her to follow him.

"We can do it all while you sit with your mother. She's been asking for you." Hermione followed willingly.

Hermione and Isobel stayed right on Dr. Green's heels as he wound his way through the corridors. They ended up in ICU and were led to a private room at the end of the corridor. Hermione didn't wait for an invitation, she just entered as if she owned the place.

Her mother was laying in the bed, slightly inclined so she could see what was happening around her. Her face was bruised and had fresh cuts over her cheeks and forehead. It looked as if she had had her face slammed into the dash. There were so many tubes and lines coming out of her body that Hermione didn't think she'd be able to count them.

Hermione didn't care if it made her look young and immature. She rushed to her mother's side so quickly that she almost slid out of her flip flops. The joy on her mother's face spread into a smile and Hermione let the hope blossom further inside her chest. She took her mother's hand and put it to her face.

"Mum, you have to sign this waiver." The nurse produced a sheaf of paper that she handed to Hermione. Hermione handed it to her mother and searched for a pen to hand her. Miranda Granger tried to focus on it long enough to read, but she didn't seem to be able to accomplish it. She laid it down and turned to Hermione.

"What is it, baby? I hurt too much to read." Hermione instantly felt guilty.

"I'm so sorry, Mum. It's a waiver for them to take one of my kidneys to give to you. They're getting ready to test me now. If it's a match I want to give you one of my kidneys." Her mother's face instantly crumpled.

"Baby, don't do something like that for me. I don't want to take something like that from you." Hermione felt the first tear slide down her cheek and she tamped down ruthlessly on the urge to break down in sobs. Now was the time to be strong, for both herself and her mother.

"Mum, please. Dad's gone and I have to do everything I can to save you. I can't bear to lose you both. Please don't stop me from doing this for you. I love you and I want to know that you're going to be around for many many years to come. Please just sign the fucking paper." She had never cursed like that in front of her parents and she hoped that the fact she was doing it now would show her mother just how serious she was. Her mother squeezed tears down her cheeks for half a second before she did her best to pick the paper back up. The nurse stepped forward and spoke.

"If you can't manage your whole name, an X will do just fine. I'll sign below it to show that I witnessed you signing it." Her mother gave her a grateful smile and signed a large looping X instead of her full name. Her eyes looked heavy as the nurse came forward and took the document. Hermione kissed her forehead in much the same way her mother had kissed her while she was growing up.

"Take a nap, Mum. I think the nurse just came in to get my blood." Her mother relaxed back into bed and gave her a small smile at her words and actions. She let her eyes slide shut so Hermione turned her attention back to the nurse that had just walked in.

The pretty young woman had a name tag with the words Jenny Doughtry pinned on her light blue scrubs. She had a kit in her hand that looked to contain several vials and a needle. While she usually wasn't a fan of needles in general, Hermione could find no fear in herself as she held out her arm.

The nurse swabbed her skin with alcohol before she readied the vials on the table before her. Hermione didn't even feel the stick of the needle and kept control of her stomach as she watched the thick, red fluid fill several vials. When the nurse was finished, she wrapped a tight band of gauze around the injection site. She rushed off to go run the appropriate tests on the sample and Hermione turned her attention back to her mother.

Before she could say or do anything, Isobel stepped forward and pressed a bottle of water into Hermione's hand and urged her drink. Hermione hadn't even realized that she was thirsty until the cool water hit her throat. She drank greedily and when she turned to Isobel, the older woman was smiling softly at her.

Hermione didn't wake her mother. She let her sleep for as long as she possibly could. It was quite obvious that Miranda Granger was weaker than a kitten and if she was going to pull through this surgery, she would need her strength.

Hermione could feel herself growing tired as she just sat there and waited. She was beginning to get a chill from being dressed in just a tiny bikini with next to nothing over the top of it when Dr. Green stepped into the room with a clipboard in his hands. Her heart soared when he took the seat in front of her. When he spoke, her mother stirred and blinked her eyes open.

"Miss Granger, I think what you're willing to do here is just wonderful. I wish that there were more family members out there that were as selfless as you are." Her mother smiled softly at the praise the doctor was showering on her daughter. The older man sighed.

"This being said, you can't donate a kidney to your mother. You're not a match." Hermione felt a stab of all encompassing pain envelope her heart. She tried her best to process his words.

"What could you mean? I know I'm a match." Her mother grabbed her hand and tried to pull her in close, but Hermione resisted. She leaned further forward as Dr. Green spoke again.

"Miss Granger, the only way I can explain it is that your parents both have type A blood. That means that as their child you should have either type A or type O blood. You don't. You have type B. You aren't a match." Hermione simply stared at him for a moment before what he was saying really clicked.

"Are you saying that my parents aren't my biological parents?" Dr. Green looked extremely uncomfortable, but he nodded.

"There is no way that you're their biological child unless one of them sired or birthed you without the other." Hermione wasn't sure she could handle this right now. She turned to her mother and her mother looked just as confused as Hermione felt. She squeezed her mother's hand to catch her attention.

"Mum, did you adopt me?" A glazed look came into her eyes as she spoke.

"Baby, I swear to you that you belong to your father and I. I gave birth to you, you were pushed from my body. I wouldn't lie to you." Hermione was growing more suspicious as to her mother's actions.

"Was it raining when I was born, Mum?" She shook her head.

"Of course not, sweetie, it was sunny." Hermione's heart sank when she realized exactly what had happened.

Her father had always told her the story of her birth taking place in the middle of a downpour.

Hermione suspected that she didn't belong to either of her parents and they had memory charms placed on them to make them believe that she was their biological child. This did nothing for the situation at hand and it broke her heart. She gave her mother a comforting smile before turning back to Dr. Green.

"What are the chances of a donor kidney coming before it's too late?" The doctor's eyes saddened even further.

"The chances aren't good. People usually wait months for a donor organ. We've moved your mother to the top of the list, but I really don't think there's much of a chance." Hermione felt her heart break the rest of the way. The doctor and his nurse stood and started for the door.

"We'll leave you to spend some time together." Hermione knew that that was code for "spend your last moments together".

Isobel followed Dr. Green and his nurse out, obviously doing her best to give mother and daughter privacy. Hermione turned to her mother who patted the bed next to her. The young girl didn't hesitate. She crawled right in the bed and snuggled into her mother's side as gently as she could. Her mother stroked the skin of her neck, back, and shoulders as she spoke.

"I don't have long, Miney. I can feel that my time is near. I don't want you feeling guilty about your father and I. This wasn't your fault." Hermione buried her face in her mother's chest and could just barely smell the comforting scent she always wore, vanilla and honeysuckle.

"It was my fault, you and Dad were coming home to have lunch with me." Her mother laughed softly and kissed the top of her head.

"We were, sweetie, but we go home for lunch every day. Even if you hadn't have been home, we still would have been in the same place at the same time." Hermione finally let her tears fall. She was sobbing into her mother's chest.

"What am I going to do once you're gone? How will I move on?" Her mother started to play with the little curls escaping her bun.

"Miney, you're the smartest girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. You are my daughter regardless of what that doctor tried to tell us. You were your father and I's greatest achievement. We are so proud of you. You will change the world in so many ways, baby. Whether your father and I are with you til the end or we're looking down from above, we will be there cheering you on." Hermione couldn't stem the sobs no matter how hard she tried. Her world was falling down around her and she had no idea what to do next.

"Where will I go?" Miranda Granger stilled for a moment before she continued to stroke her daughter's hair.

"You get a hold of that Headmaster of yours. Once I'm gone, you won't have any ties to this world anymore. I'm sure he'll find you a nice family to live with, that will love you just as much as we do." Hermione nodded softly. She had no other option.

"I love you, Mum. I don't know where I would be if I didn't have you and Dad." Her mother laughed openly now.

"Miney, your father I always said we wouldn't know where we would have ended up if it hadn't been for you. I love you more than life itself. I'm counting on you to grieve, but not lose yourself. Don't stop living. Keep moving forward in your life, find love and happiness, achieve your goals. Make the best of your life for your father and I. Promise me." Hermione finally stopped sobbing because she could feel her mother's breaths getting shallower. She sat up and looked her in the eyes.

"I promise, Mum. I'll accomplish every one of my dreams for you and Dad." Her mother rested her head back on the pillow.

"We'll see each other again someday, Miney. We'll be waiting at the Gates when it's your time." Hermione gave her mother a small smile.

"I'll see you there." Her mother smiled softly and closed her eyes. Her breathing was far more shallow now and Hermione knew it was close.

She held her mother's hand close to her chest and sang to her. Amazing Grace was her mother's favorite hymn and Hermione thought that it was fitting to send her mother off to heaven with her favorite hymn in her ears.

Halfway through the second verse, Miranda Granger's chest quit rising and the machines hooked up to her went crazy.

Nurses and doctors rushed in and started to pull paddles out of some machine nearby. Hermione had never seen them up close and personal, she had only ever caught glimpses of them on the telly. They were trying to pull her off the bed with her mother. Finally, Hermione couldn't control herself anymore. Her magic lashed out and every lightbulb in the room burst. The doctors went silent and the only light in the room was what was pouring in through the door. When Hermione spoke her voice was raw and thick with tears.

"Just don't. I'm her daughter and I say let her go. She won't survive long anyways if you manage to bring her back. Just let her die with some dignity." Everyone backed away from the bed and her mother's body.

Hermione bent down and pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek. She had gotten her closure with her mother and she had no urge to stay with her mother's body. It wasn't her mother anymore. The body on the bed didn't possess her mother's wit or sense of humor. It no longer held her intelligence or her love and compassion that she held for mankind. Her mother's shell was what remained and she had no attachment to that. What she was attached to had left the earthly plane and traveled skyward to where her father surely waited for her.

As callous as it may seem, Hermione couldn't help it. The empty shell on the bed merely reminded her that her parents were gone and would never return. The less reminders she had, the better.

Isobel came through the door and saw that Hermione was in the process of leaving. Her face was tear stained, but her eyes were dry now. She would shed more in the privacy of her own home. Once Isobel had correctly gathered what had happened, she opened her arms to Hermione.

"Come child, you'll come home with me until we figure out what your next move will be." Hermione nodded. Truly, this suited her just fine. There would only be a million more reminders at home that her parents were gone.

Isobel laid an arm around Hermione's shoulders and started to guide her towards the lift. Hermione knew she was starting to go into shock. She could feel it, but the thing she needed most was to get away from the hospital. Her whole world had just been destroyed and she was trying to cope as best she could.

The trip through the hospital flew past without Hermione actually seeing anything. She faintly realized that Isobel was helping her into her Fiesta and strapping her in. Hermione turned to Isobel the second they pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"Can we just go straight to your house? I can't face my house right now." Isobel gave her a soft smile and nod.

"Absolutely, Hermione. You are most welcome. I have some old clothes you can change into." Hermione smiled softly, but didn't answer. She settled back into the seat and let Isobel handle the rest.

Hermione was trying to figure out how she was going to grieve, but not drown. They didn't call her the Brightest Witch of her Age for nothing. She'd get there eventually.

A/N- Seriously, I bawled my fucking eyes out writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy. I almost decided to keep her mother alive, but decided to torment everyone instead, including myself. For the medical people out there, I have no idea if this is really how organ compatibility is discovered. If it is, look at me go! If not, well, forgive a girl for being too damn sick to actually research that. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and continue to leave me your thoughts.

Next chapter, Hermione tries to figure out how to get a hold of Hogwarts and something unexpected happens to our girl.

Thanks again, y'all.

Love,

Alicia


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- I'd say I'm sorry for that last chapter, but that would be a lie. This chapter isn't going to make you feel any better either, but I promise Hermione is back on her home turf next chapter. I know this is a slow start, but hang with me! Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing...lots of love for you! FF is being really dumb and isn't letting me respond to everyone's reviews. If you didn't get a response, I apologize. I'm not ignoring you, I promise! Anyways, on with the show!

Disclaimer: I own Isobel Cockney, William Turner, George and Janine Albright, Terrance Smith, Kammy Ryder, Dillon Smarsh, and Tandy Rogers. Everyone else in this chapter belongs to J.K.R.

Chapter 3

July 20, 1995

Hermione hadn't cried in days. When she had reached Isobel's house the night her parents had died, she had fallen into the bed in the spare room, a room Hermione had stayed in a few times when she was younger and had cried her eyes out for hours. Some people exaggerated and said hours when it was really only an hour or so. This had been no exaggeration.

It had been late afternoon when she had laid down in Isobel's home and it had been well after midnight when she had finally ran dry and quieted. Isobel had checked on her often, had offered her food and drink, but Hermione had remained silent and continued sobbing heartwrenching sobs that would have broken even Voldemort's heart.

When she had finally stopped crying, she had laid awake for hours more, reliving every wonderful memory she had with her parents. There had been no more tears, but there was sadness abound. Completely drained and exhausted, she had dropped off to sleep around dawn.

Hermione hadn't shed a single tear since then.

Isobel had seemed excited and thrilled when she had finally risen the next day and her eyes were dry. Swollen, bloodshot, and red as hell, but dry. She had consented to drinking some orange juice, but had refused food altogether. Her parents would have had her hide if they knew she wasn't taking care of herself, but she really didn't think that she could handle food on her stomach when her anxiety levels were so high.

Isobel had been invaluable when it had come to helping her bury her parents. The details had fallen to Hermione, but since she was still a minor, she had needed someone of legal age to help her with the legal details. As much as she absolutely adored and appreciated Isobel, her heart wanted Sirius and Remus.

Nobody could ever replace her parents, but the two of them would have been a huge comfort to have in the moments where she felt like she was sinking below surface. It was already unbearably hard to go through your parent's last wishes so you could give them the funerals they wanted. It was made a thousand times worse by having to constantly hide the fact that she was magical and desperately needed to find a way to get a hold of the magical world.

Hermione didn't own an owl and she didn't know any wizards aside from Harry that had a muggle phone that she could ring. She had actually considered calling Harry, she had his number written down somewhere, but she knew that his relatives would never put her call through to him.

Therefore, she would have to take some time to herself when she reached her home today and try to figure out how to get ahold of someone that could get her help.

Jake and Miranda Granger's funeral had been held together and it had been packed full of friends, colleagues, and patients. Not a single family member aside from Hermione. Neither parent had any siblings and both had dead parents. Orphans in their own rights when they had met each other in dentistry school.

Hermione had dressed nicely in a new outfit purchased by Isobel. She hadn't wanted to dress up at all; she had wanted to attend in her bikini and jean shorts, the thing she usually wore in most of her happiest memories with her parents. The Gryffindor had refrained, however, and dressed as was expected. She didn't want to embarrass her mother on her official send off. to heaven.

The funeral had been far longer than she thought her parents would have liked, but there wasn't much she could do about it. Her parents had wanted there to be open speaking time so those who wanted to publicly remember them would be able to.

There had been so many that got up to the podium in the front of the room and shared their favorite memories of her parents. Hermione had smiled softly at the memories that were humorous, looked down into her lap for the memories that made her sad. Isobel had been at her side for the whole thing.

Hermione had considered getting up and sharing her favorite memories with her parents, but in the end, decided against it. They were HER memories and they were the only thing keeping her sane at the moment. She didn't want to share them with anybody yet. Therefore, she had remained in her seat until the preacher had said his final blessings and the funeral had come to an end.

The burial at the cemetery had been a special kind of hell. She had hoped that it would remain small and private, but that hadn't been in the cards. She and Isobel had been front and center to watch her parents be lowered in the ground, and it was so much harder to seperate herself from the rest of the people when they were so close to her that they could touch her.

When it was finally over, Hermione had never been more thrilled. She had never liked huge crowds of people, but since her parent's deaths, her anxiety had skyrocketed. Yet another reason she wanted Remus or Sirius. Both always knew how to make her feel better, even if it was in completely different ways.

Sirius would have been cracking jokes about the whole situation and pointing out the wardrobe malfunctions of all the people who had attended both events. He would have wrapped an arm around her shoulders and told her that he knew what it was like to have no parents and would have promised to always be there for her.

Remus would have sat right next to her, arm thrown around her, and literally growled at anyone that got too close to her. He would have been able to smell how uncomfortable the people made her and he would have kept them at bay. He would have whispered in her ear how much her parents loved her and that they would never really leave her, something she desperately wanted to hear from someone that knew exactly what she was. It probably didn't make much sense to anyone, but there was nothing else for it.

Now, she and Isobel were headed to her parent's barrister so they could hear the reading of the will. Hermione had a feeling that it was going to bring a new level of complete hell to her life. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with her parent's lives and amassed fortune being handed out like it was nothing.

When they reached the Office of William Turner, Hermione got out of Isobel's Fiesta. The older woman came around and laid an arm around her shoulder and stood there with her silently for just a few moments. Hermione enjoyed the peace of the moment while it lasted.

Once Hermione had heaved in a deep breath, she turned to Isobel and nodded. If she didn't jump in feet first, she'd lose her courage and go on home. The pair opened the door and made their way to check in with the receptionist. The middle-aged blond woman gave them a smile and told them it should only be a moment since Mr. Turner was expecting them.

The receptionist was true to her word and the door to the conference room opened up. William Turner beckoned them into the room, offering his hand to both of them once they were inside.

"I'm William Turner, Jake and Miranda's barrister for the last twenty years. I just want to say how sorry I am that they were taken from you so soon." Hermione nodded, but remained silent. She had heard so many condolences in the last three hours that she couldn't even muster the good manners to acknowledge his words. He seemed to understand, however, and ushered her to the seat next to the head of the long glass table. Isobel sat next to her and Mr. Turner began thumbing through the documents in front of him.

"Now, Hermione, I know this is going to be hard for you so if you need a break, just say the word. It's very common for this to occur." She still remained silent, but nodded her understanding. She wasn't going to stop unless she had to. She wanted this travesty over with as soon as possible. Mr. Turner took no notice of her rude behavior and began.

"Hermione, your parents didn't leave an extensive will. They both agreed wholeheartedly on what they wanted done with their belongings. The first thing that comes up is a matter of your custody. I understand that neither Jake nor Miranda had any family so they named someone else to stand in as your caretaker until you come of age. Does the name Albus Dumbledore mean anything to you?" This was the first statement that caught her attention and kept it. Her head came up and she spoke for the first time.

"Absolutely. He's the Headmaster at the school I attend." Mr. Turner nodded, smiling slightly at the fact that she was finally joining the conversation.

"Yes, that's what they have listed. Now, since he's granted as your caretaker, it is now his job to find you lodgings and so forth. They did not, however, give him power of attorney over their finances. The only other thing that they asked of him was that he secure their home so it could be kept for you if and when you decided to move back into it or if you decide to sell it." Mr. Turner folded his hands in front of him.

"However, we've tried dialing the number that was listed beside his name and we're having quite the time getting ahold of him so he can come pick you up. Do you have a way of contacting him?" Hermione was unsure of how much to say. She finally settled with a vague version of the truth.

"I'll look into it once I get home and see if I have another number for him. I would suggest you keep trying though." He gave her a resolute nod.

"We'll do that. As for the financial part of their will, I strongly recommended for them to go a different route. I told them that minors didn't have the maturity to handle their own finances, but they were certain that you could handle it. Therefore, you are now currently in charge of their rather large bank accounts. After the insurance payouts, their bank notes paying themselves off, and so on and so forth, you've now amassed just over three million pounds. The oddest thing is that they have down to have the whole sum transferred to a bank called Gringott's. Have you heard of it?" Hermione nodded.

"It's the name of the bank in the town I go to school. They probably wanted to make it easily accessible for me." Hermione was astounded that her parents had dared to put so much of the wizarding world in their will. She could only hope that Mr. Turner would just take her word for her explanations, otherside her life could get a lot more difficult than it already was.

Mr. Turner did rattle off a few other things that her parents had wanted to bequeath to their friends. Their neighbor, Mr. Halsey, had been given the prize vase that he admired every time he came over to their home, Isobel had been left a sizable sum of money that she hadn't seen coming. Hermione thought that she deserved it, if for nothing else than putting up with her since her parents had met their untimely deaths.

After those bequeathments had been read, the appointment had wound down pretty quickly. Mr. Turner had promised to continue trying to get ahold of Professor Dumbledore and she could only hope that he had more luck in reaching him than she would.

Hermione let Isobel lead her back out to her old Fiesta and she got in before strapping her seatbelt around her. Before they took off, Isobel turned to her.

"You know you're welcome to stay with me until this Dumbledore fellow can come get you." Hermione gave her a genuine smile.

"Thank you so much, Isobel. I don't know what I would have done without you." The older woman patted her shoulder and they started on their way back to the Granger home. Hermione had decided the night before that she needed to go back and at least gather some clothing so Isobel wouldn't have to keep buying her clothes.

It was a twenty minute drive in the heavy London traffic. Hermione was hot and thirsty by the time they pulled into the familiar driveway. Her mother's car was still parked inside the garage while her father's car had been totaled out when the drunk driver had hit them.

Hermione and Isobel both crossed the shaggy lawn and made their way to the front door. Hermione found the hidden key and unlocked the front door. When they opened the front door, the familiar scent of her parents washed over her and she almost burst into tears.

Nevertheless, she was a true Gryffindor so Hermione squared her shoulders and raised her chin before she strode through the door and into the familiar warmth of their living room. Her living room now. She stood there for several minutes, cataloguing all the things in the room that screamed her parent's presence. She turned each one over in her mind and did her best to push past them.

Once she found that she would survive the living room, Hermione stepped forward and started for the hallway. It led to all the bedrooms in the house along with the informal bathroom. Her room was where she was headed, and she told Isobel that she shouldn't be long in gathering her clothes. Isobel nodded and took a seat on the couch to wait patiently for Hermione to finish.

Hermione stopped and studied every last picture that was hanging down the hallway of her childhood home. Most of them were of her, but there were several that were of her parents on holiday, their wedding photos, their travels before they had had Hermione. It was always something she had taken for granted, but no longer. She savored each and every picture and vowed to come back and take a couple when Professor Dumbledore came to fetch her.

Hermione finally made it to her room and opened the door. It was probably the only safe room in the house that didn't hold any of her parent's presence. She shut the door behind her quickly so she could pack her clothing in peace. However, she was startled out of her silence by a soft hoot. Hermione started with a small squeak and was thrilled beyond measure to see Hedwig. Finally, a way to get ahold of the wizarding world even if it was through Harry.

She unrolled the parchment from Hedwig's claws and stuffed the letter in her pocket. She would read it later. Right now, she had to write a quick letter to Harry and send it back with Hedwig before Isobel came in and saw an owl in her room.

It took her only five minutes to scribble out a letter and reattach it to Hedwig's leg. She gave the owl a friendly pat and apologized.

"I'm sorry, girl. I don't have any treats. I need you to take this to Harry as quickly as possible. It's a bit of an emergency." Hedwig hooted softly before she nipped her fingers affectionately. Without further ado, Hedwig flew back out the open window located next to Hermione's bed.

Deciding that she needed to get a move on, she grabbed one of her old duffel bags that had served as a riding bag when she was younger. Hermione began to just randomly throw some of her clothes in the bag. Most of her intimates were thrown in. She had just gone shopping two weeks before with her mother to update her wardrobe. This train of thought had almost brought on an unwelcome bout of didn't want to cry anymore until she was with someone that would understand. Now that she had seen Hedwig, she realized that she wanted Harry more than anyone else.

When her bag was bulging, Hermione stepped out of her room to hear voices in the living room. She quickly made her way down the hallway so she could see just who had come to visit the second she had stepped foot in her family home. When she turned the corner and saw a pair of bobbies speaking heatedly with Isobel, she knew things were about to go from completely horrible to beyond abhorrent. The bobbies turned and saw her entrance, one of them instantly heading her direction. It took every last nerve she had to not draw her wand out of her hair and stun them so she could run.

She didn't, however. Hermione allowed them to approach her, but she didn't fix them with a friendly gaze. She had never purposely glared at someone other than Malfoy when he was being a complete prat to her, but this was the first time she had do it to adults. Not even Professor Snape had warranted this behavior. One of the bobbies stopped just short of running into her and reached out to try to take her bag. She held fast to it, her glare becoming darker. He sighed as Isobel stepped forward.

"They're here for you, Hermione. They said that the great city of London doesn't allow underage children to live on their own even if they're waiting to get ahold of their caretaker. I told them that I was willing to keep you for as long as it took, but they said since I'm not liscenced through the city, they can't allow it. They're going to take you to a temporary foster home." Hermione's worst fears were recognized and she could do nothing but internally curse Dumbledore for not giving reliable contact information.

There was nothing to do for it though. Hermione knew that fighting the inevitable would be a waste of time and energy. It was a very Slytherin take on the situation, but she found that she didn't have the energy to deal with much more. She nodded once before she spoke to Isobel.

"I'm not sure when I'll see you again, but I want to thank you for keeping me and helping me with everything. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm sure I'll see you again so please don't worry about me. If Mr. Turner contacts you, tell him what's happened and that he needs to continue to try to get ahold of Professor Dumbledore." Isobel teared up at her words and came forward to hug her.

"Anything you need, sweet girl, you just let me know. Anytime. You hang in there and remember that time heals all wounds." Hermione nodded in the older woman's shoulder. When they separated, Hermione beckoned for the two bobbies to lead the way.

Hermione was now heading into a system that was well known for being hostile, violent, and full of thievery. She decided that while she could obviously buy more clothing, she needed to make sure that her wand was on her person at all times. In no world did she want to part with her wand by having it broken or stolen.

Isobel locked up the house behind them and she watched from the porch as Hermione was herded into the back of the car with the bobbies. Hermione hadn't caught their names and frankly, she didn't care to. They were simply a stop on the map for her. Once Dumbledore got his arse in gear, she would be gone before she could say quidditch. Harry would come through for her, she knew it.

The ride to her new home was much longer than she had anticipated. The home was located in the slums of London, much to her didn't consider herself snobbish in the least, but she was aware of what happened to young women in this part of town. The fact that she would be living there made her extremely nervous.

When the bobbies finally stopped, they opened the back door for her. Hermione stepped out of the car and eyed the house she would be staying in with only a small amount of disgust. It was tiny and ill-kempt, but the woman smiling at her on the porch looked warm and inviting, reminding her ever so slightly of Molly Weasley.

The bobbies escorted her into the house and the woman hollered up the stairs for everyone to come downstairs. When everyone had appeared to have arrived, the woman spoke.

"My name is Janine Albright, and that's my husband George Albright. We have four foster kids aside from you. Kammy Ryder and Tandy Rogers will be rooming with you, they're ages sixteen and eight. The boys bunk together also, they're Terrance Smith and Dillon Smarsh. They're seventeen and eleven."

Hermione surveyed her new "family" and knew she didn't like what she saw. The oldest boy was covered in tattoos already and had a large spike through his bottom lip. The younger boy didn't seem to look the part of a thug, but he had a sneer on his face that reminded her of Crabbe and Goyle.

The oldest girl, Kammy, reminded Hermione of Millicent Bulstrode. Very large-boned and heavy set, not really fat, but very solid. Her large midriff was exposed and she had bright pink hair. Hermione thought that she was average at just under five foot four inches tall, but this girl made her look like a midget. She was easily six feet tall.

The younger girl was absolutely gorgeous. Long black hair that reached her waist, pin straight, with ice blue eyes and red lips. A sprinkling of freckles colored her nose and Hermione was jealous of the woman she would become.

While Hermione considered herself no great beauty, she knew that she had a decent figure and her intelligence drew away from her awful hair and face. The youngest girl would give Hermione a complex if she let her.

Hermione decided to start out giving everyone a chance. She gave them a soft smile before she spoke.

"Hello. My name is Hermione Granger and I'm almost sixteen years old." The older boy leered at her openly and Hermione felt a shiver of revulsion. Her wand would definetely be in arm's reach at all times while she was stuck here. The older girl stepped forward and threw a very heavy arm around Hermione's shoulders, fake smike wide on her features.

"Oh, we're almost the same age! We're going to be the best of friends." For some reason, Hermione had a feeling that the exact opposite was going to happen.

The bobbies seemed happy with the outcome of their visit so they tipped their hats to Janine and turned to leave. Once they were gone and the door was shut, the sweet woman persona disappeared. She turned to Hermione and laid down the law with a voice of iron.

"Rules in this house are simple. You eat what we serve or you don't eat. You show George and I respect at all times or we'll backhand you. You respect everyone else's property in this house, no stealing. No snitching. If I hear you snitching to me or George, you'll go without meals. It's pretty simple to survive here. You look like you're a gurl from privilege so you may find it to be a hardship, but you'll get over it soon enough." Hermione remained silent until Janine gestured for her to follow Kammy up the stairs.

"Like I said, you bunk with the girls. They'll show you where, but it's up to you to make it work." Hermione gave them a polite nod.

"Thank you, ma'am." Janine didn't even act like she had heard her so Hermione turned and followed Kammy and Tandy up the stairs. She could feel Terrance's eyes on her and she wanted to turn around and hex him.

The two girls led her into their tiny room that had a bunk bed and a single bed inside. There was one dresser that had three drawers and Hermione was guided to the bottom one. She began to reluctantly put her clothing away, mostly for the fact that she didn't want her clothing stolen. Neither girl seemed interested in her possessions though, so she went ahead with the task. She was sure that none of them were going to break the silence until Kammy spoke.

"Word to the wise. Stay the fuck away from Terrance. He's a twisted little prick that likes to force girls to be with him. He tried with me and I stomped him in the ground. He tried with Tandy here, but I made it clear that I'd kill him if he tried again. You don't look like a lifer so maybe you'll get out before he tries anything. Just heed my warning." Hermione nodded the older girl's way. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all if she was protecting the younger girl.

"Thank you. I'll keep my distance." Kammy snorted, but spoke anyways, and Hermione got the impression that it was a standard issue warning.

"You touch our shit, I'll break your face." Hermione gave her a small smile.

"I would never steal from you, I promise." Kammy laughed outright now.

"You're so fucking innocent looking I can't help but believe you." Hermione smiled again, but left the conversation there. She wouldn't be there for long and she didn't want to get too attached to people she would never see again.

Instead, she laid down on her bed and pulled out the letter that Harry had written her She had nearly forgotten it in the excitement of moving to her new "home".

Dear Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you well. I haven't heard from you in awhile so I figured that I would write and make sure that all is well. There is nothing really new to report here so that makes for a short letter.

I did get a letter from Ron and he told me that his family is going to be moving into "Headquarters", whatever in the bloody hell that is. I wonder if that's where I'll be taken when I can finally leave my aunt's house?

Anyways, I'm sure I'm bothering your pool time. I wouldn't want to interrupt your amazing tan! I hope you write me soon and let me know you're alright.

Love,

Harry

Hermione sighed. Reading his words only made her wish for him more. She settled down on the bed and decided that she wasn't going to go down for dinner. She had barely eaten in the last week, what was a few more days? Besides, she truly didn't think her belly could handle it and the last thing she wanted to do was insult her new "mother's" cooking by throwing it up.

Hermione snuggled down into her flat pillow and thin blanket and did her absolute best to drift off to sleep and forget this whole nightmare.

-O-

Harry was laying on his bed in Number 4 Privet Drive. He absolutely detested it there, but there wasn't much he could do about it short of running away. He had a feeling that that would be the dumbest thing he could do at the moment.

His homework had been done for ages. He had reread every single one of his textbooks from last year and even third year. He could kind of see why Hermione read through them several times. He seemed to pick up a new spell that he had missed the time before every time he read them.

His relatives had been duly threatened by Remus and Moody when he had been picked up at King's Cross. It had been somewhat satisfying to watch his family quiver in fear when the two imposing men threatened them.

Due to these threats, it actually hadn't been as terrible as usual there. Sure, he still had to do all the chores around the house, he still had to care for the yard, but he wasn't starved or beaten any longer. That in itself made for a much better holiday than he was used to.

It was late at night and he couldn't sleep. Harry was worried to death about Hermione. She had always given him a instantaneous reply when he would write her. He had come to count on it. Earlier that week, he had sent her a short note letting her know that he was still doing well (he knew she worried like a mother hen),and Hedwig had returned two days later with his letter still attached to her leg.

Instantly, he had written another letter while Hedwig got a drink and a treat. He had attached it back to her leg and told the bird to return to Hermione's home and wait for her, but no longer than three days. He had told himself that if Hedwig returned again with no response from Hermione, he would alert Sirius and make him go check on his best friend.

Harry had always considered Ron and Hermione to be his equal best friends. He hated choosing sides between them when they argued and did his very best to never have to. This had changed this past year though.

Hermione had stuck by his side when the school turned against him, Ron included. Nobody but Hermione had believed him when he told them that he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. Sure, he had accepted Ron's apology for being a prat, but he always felt that betrayal in the back of his mind.

Hefmione had always been his rock. She had been the one person that he knew he could be weak in front of and she wouldn't judge him for it or hold it against him. Even though he hadn't held romantic feelings for her up until recently, she had been one of the most important people in his life.

His platonic feelings had vanished the day of the Yule Ball. She had descended the stairs so she could enter with Viktor Krum and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Parvati had elbowed him in the stomach because he had actually let his mouth hang open.

He knew that Hermione didn't think she was pretty. She couldn't have been more wrong. Yes, her teeth had been awful, but she had had Madam Pomfrey fix them for her. Her hair could be out of control if Hermione got sidetracked and forgot to care for it. She thought that her eyes were just a boring brown, but she couldn't have been more wrong. They were the same shade as firewhiskey and held more warmth in them than Harry had ever witnessed in anyone elses.

Harry was startled out of his daydream by a tapping on his window. He flew out of his bed and raised his window allowing Hedwig to fly in. The three days weren't up so he knew the letter clutched in Hedwig's claws was from Hermione. He made sure that his owl had plenty of owl treats and water in her cage before he ripped into the letter that contained the familiar tiny script that he had come to associate with Hermione. His eyes hungrily scanned the page and shock settled in as he read.

Dear Harry,

I've never been so glad to see Hedwig in all my life. My life will never be the same again.

Just a week ago, my parents were hit by a drunk driver as they were leaving their office. My father died shortly after reaching the hospital and my mother needed a kidney. I tried to donate one, but I wasn't a match. She died the same day.

I've been staying with a family friend that has been doing her best to help me with everything that comes with a death in the family. Harry, this pain is unimaginable and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm all alone, nobody knows that I'm magical and I feel like I'm hiding one of the most important things about me while trying to deal with this.

I just came from meeting with my parent's barrister. They gave custody of me to Professor Dumbledore, but they can't get ahold of him. Who knows how long it will take for a muggle to get ahold of one of the most powerful wizards in Britain?

Can you please send Hedwig to Sirius or Professor Dumbledore so they can come get me? I would owe you a great debt.

I hope that your relatives are treating you well. You don't deserve how they treat you.

I better go for now, I have to pack some clothes to go back to Isobel's.

Love,

Hermione

Harry couldn't believe what he just read. Hermione had lost her parents in a horrific accident just a week ago and she had been alone since then. He felt terrible for feeling sorry for himself while Hermione had been truly suffering. He decided that Sirius would probably be the best bet at getting a speedy response. Who knew how many other pieces of mail would come before his letter if he sent it to Professor Dumbledore.

Harry leapt into action and found his parchment and quill. He couldn't understand why he still used quill and parchment when he was in the muggle world, but he did. He knew Hermione used a pen and paper, but he just never did. He took a seat at his desk and began his letter.

Sirius,

I need you to do a huge favor for me, please. Hermione just wrote to me and her parents were killed in an accident last week. She's been staying with a family friend and has no way to communicate with the wizarding world.

Apparently, Professor Dumbledore is supposed to take over her custody, but nobody can reach him. Can you please get ahold of him and tell him that Hermione needs him?She didn't sound so good in her letter, she needs her friends right now.

Please, please, please, and thank you.

Love,

Harry

Harry stood and attached the letter to Hedwig's leg once again. She gave him a reproachful look, but Harry just gave her a beseeching look right back.

"I know you're tired, girl. I'm sorry. Please take this to Sirius. It's an emergency." Hedwig seemed to relent at his words and affectioneately hooted at him. Without any further delay, Hedwig took off out the window and Harry sat back and sighed.

Hopefully, Sirius could get Dumbledore in gear and they could bring Hermione home where she belonged. Harry could only hope.

A/N- Alrighty, I know this chapter probably didn't answer any burning questions y'all seem to have, but patience is a virtue! Hang in there! Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter even though it wasn't the most exciting. Leave me your thoughts, they're like whiskey shots ((:

Next chapter, Hermione is finally rescued from her foster family!

Love,

Alicia


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- Such amazing feedback on thr last chapter, thank you. I know this is starting out slow, but stay patient! To everyone who has read and reviewed, you're the bomb. A million thanks. Enough for now, on we travel...

Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and Company belongs to J.K.R. I own the twist on this plot, but not sure this kind of story hasn't been done before.

Chapter 4

July 25, 1995

Hermione had given up hope. It had been a long five days in the home of George and Janine Albright. She hadn't heard from Harry since she had been there. Honestly though, that was probably a good thing. She hadn't heard from Dumbledore and she had had no further contact whatsoever with the wizarding world or anyone in it.

The Gryffindor had resigned herself to living out the summer with these people that had taken over her care. She couldn't say that George and Janine were terrible people because they weren't. It was just quite clear that the pair were only foster parents for the money they were paid from the city.

They didn't beat anyone or starve them. There was most certainly the feeling that they couldn't give two shits about the children they had under their roof though. After coming from her parents and the wonderful life they had shared together, it was a rough transition. Hermione completely understood why all four children in their care had an air of neglect, hardness, and maturity that she hadn't seen in anyone else her age. Hermione thought it was one of the saddest things she had ever seen.

Kammy and Tandy had laughed at her constantly during the five days she had been there because of her trusting ways. Hermione knew she wasn't cut out for a life in foster care and she didn't try to act like she was. She felt like this was probably the real reason that the two laughed at her.

The two girls had actually turned out to not be that bad. Sure, they were rough around the edges and were a bit uncouth at times, but nothing that Hermione couldn't overlook. They seemed to be close despite the age difference between them. The Gryffindor figured that when you have no adult allies, you chose your own among your peers.

Kammy had been in the system since she was seven years old. Her father had been abusive to her mother and older sister so she had witnessed plenty of violence before tragedy struck. In a drunken rage, her father had come home and shot her mother and then shot himself. Her sister had only been eleven at the time so she had been unable to care for Kammy. Both had been sent away to foster care. Her older sister Kimberly had been brutally murdered just five years later. Kammy truly was alone.

Tandy had a story similar to Hermione's. She had been just a baby when a teenaged driver high on drugs had struck their family car. Tandy had survived, but her parents were both killed on impact. The Albright's were her fourth home because nobody could truly control Tandy except for Kammy.

Even though both their stories were tragic and equal parts horrible, Hermione could see the good in these girls. Kammy had become a protector for Tandy, just as her older sister had done for her. She was carrying on the legacy even though common sense told her that she would get further just worrying about herself.

Tandy had been in the system for as long as she could remember. She had learned to navigate it early and made it her modus operandi to not allow anyone too close for fear they would send her away. Everyone except Kammy, that is. The girls were good for each other no matter what anyone else said.

After they had shared their stories with Hermione, she had decided to share her own. She told them the wonderful stories and memories of her parents and how much she would miss them. Both girls had bawled like babies when she told them of her last moments with her mother before she died.

Yes, as rough as the girls were around the edges, Hermione could bear to live with them until September.

The boys, on the other hand, Hermione didn't know much about. She had tried to question Dillon on which subjects he liked best in school during one of the few dinners she had actually attended. He had sneered in her face and told her that school was a complete waste of time. She had wanted to tell him just how wrong he was, but she decided that he wouldn't listen to her even if she did.

Heeding Kammy's advice, Hermione had not spoken a single word to Terrance or even so much as glanced in his direction. She could feel his eyes on her every time they passed in the corridor, but she never gave him an opening to so much as speak to her. If he could try to assault Tandy who was only eight years old, Hermione knew he wouldn't hesitate to assault her either.

This was proven just the night before.

Hermione had been in the bathroom taking a shower, only the second one she had taken thus far since she was scared of Terrance catching her alone in the corridor. She had toweled off and combed out her wild curls. Dressed in a pair of night shorts and an old tee shirt of Harry's, she had opened the door so she could go back to the room she shared with Kammy and Tandy.

Terrance had been waiting for her. As soon as she opened the door, he shoved in through the doorway and slammed the door shut behind him, trapping her inside. He had rushed her before she even realized what was happening to her.

His hand closed around her throat and he slammed her head against the wall just once. His hand began traveling over the expanse of her curves, his breath hot and fetid in her face. When she had finally gathered her wits, she brought her knee into his groin. He hadn't released her completely, but he was stunned and doubled over.

Hermione balled up her fist, reminding her of Draco Malfoy of all people, and had punched him as hard as she could. When he fell to the floor, she had bolted out of the bathroom and tried to make it to the bedroom.

Terrance was impossibly fast, however, and had reached out and wrapped his hand in her long curls. She twisted a certain way (she could never tell you just how) and Terrance had released her just in time to fall down the eight stairs to the bottom floor. When Janine and George had found him at the bottom of the stair, they had demanded answers from Hermione.

The young girl had told them what they wanted to know. This, however, didn't work out for her quite like she had hoped. George had backhanded Hermione right across the cheekbone so hard she saw stars for what they considered "snitching". It apparently didn't matter if you were asked what had happened, it seemed to be a test that they gave you to make sure that you kept quiet. She supposed the Albrights figured that ignorance was bliss.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder just how many girls had remained quiet about Terrance's actions. Not everyone had a Kammy in their corner that cared.

This morning she had woken up to find that the side of her face was bruised from the older man's hand and she had bruises around her throat from Terrance. When she saw exactly what she looked like, she vowed that if he tried to assault her again, she was going to use magic and stun him. Someone would report the underage magic and send an official. Terrance would be dealt with and she would be back in touch with the world of magic. Two birds, one stone.

Hermione had just started for the stairs again after their meager lunch when the doorbell rang. Hermione wondered if it was another unfortunate child being brought to live with them. When she normally would have just continued on her way up the stairs, not wanting to be any bother to anyone else, she decided that she would be nice to the next child. Kammy and Tandy had been life savers in this home.

Janine opened the door and she could hear the woman beginning to screech. Surprised she would speak to the bobbies this way, Hermione took another step further into the living room so she could overhear what was being said.

"I don't know where you got your faulty information. There's nobody here by that name." Hermione wanted to sob in relief when she heard Remus answer.

"I assure you, Mrs. Albright, I know she's in there. You're either going to fetch her for me or I'm going to break down this door and fetch her myself before calling the law. I'm sure they would be interested in why you're lying to a person coming to pick up one of your wards by behest of her caretaker." Janine huffed and Hermione didn't wait for her to open the door any further.

Completely aware that everyone in the house was watching her carefully, she shoved Janine unceremoniously out of the way so she could leap into Remus' arms. A few tears slid down her cheeks when she realized that she was finally saved from this hell on earth. Remus buried one hand in her hair and kept the other around her waist so he could keep her close.

"Sshhh, I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, Mina. No tears now, I've come to take you away from here." She nodded into his shoulder and brought herself back under control. He whispered again, not wanting the muggles behind him to hear him she was sure.

"Dumbledore has been out of the country for well over a week. We had to wait until he had returned to file the paperwork for you to be able to come with me." She nodded again before taking a deep breath. She stepped back from one of her dearest friends and he gasped.

His hands went up and cupped her cheeks, turning her face side to side so he could inspect it. Hermione belatedly realized that he could see the bruises on her face and throat.

"What in the bloody fuck has happened to you? Who bruised you like this?" She didn't get a chance to respond because Janine spoke.

"The hateful little wench earned herself a backhand from my husband for not obeying the rules." Remus clenched his teeth and turned to the Albrights. Hermione knew that this could end badly so she put her hand on Remus' wrist.

"Please, Remus, can we just go?" He turned his stony expression to Hermione again and she watched it soften.

"Sure. Go get your things, Mina. I'll wait right here for you." She nodded and started for the stairs. At the bottom of them, she turned around to make sure that he was actually going to wait for her. He seemed to understand what she was doing because he smiled at her reassuringly and nodded for her to go.

Hermione packed her bag far quicker than she had unpacked it, that was for sure. She was startled when the door opened and Kammy and Tandy entered. Neither said anything, but both enveloped her in a three way hug. They held to her tightly and she held them back just as tight. Kammy spoke first.

"Take care of yourself, Granger. Don't let the pricks in this world get you down." She smiled before Tandy spoke.

"Make sure you have a good life. Not like here." Hermione's heart broke for these girls, even for Terrance and Dillon. No child deserved an existence like this. She nodded and hugged them once more. When they pulled apart, she spoke.

"Don't you two worry about me. Make sure you take care of each other and always believe that you can escape this life, you just have to be strong enough to do so. Thank you for taking me in and being nice to me. I appreciate it more than you know." Both girls nodded and stepped back so Hermione could gather her bag up on her shoulder. With one last smile, she left them in their room and went back down the stairs.

Remus was exactly where she had left him. He stood there, his large mass taking up the whole doorway. Being a werewolf really did make him a larger than normal human. When he saw her descend the stairs, he held out his hand for her to take. Hermione was all too happy to reach out and take her friend's hand so he could take her away from this hell. He looked down at her face so he could meet her eyes.

"Ready, Mina?" She nodded. Without a backward glance, Hermione let Remus lead her out of the crackerbox house and down the street.

Neither said a word until the reached the end of the street where a bus stop was located. They stepped inside it, out of the view of the public, and Remus held out an old watch.

"It's a portkey. It's going to take us back to your house so we can get your things. Get everything you need for the school year. After that, we have to go get Harry." Hermione's heart leapt at his words. Without a second thought, she reached out and grasped the other end of the watch while Remus tapped it with his wand to activate it.

It felt just like it had when she had traveled by portkey with Harry and the Weasleys to the Quidditch World Cup. The pair landed in the living room of her childhood home. Remus reached out and caught her before she could fall to the ground. With a grateful smile, she spoke.

"Do I need to do anything else in regards to the house?" Remus shook his head.

"No, I'm going to place wards on it while you pack your things. Dumbledore already has someone lined up for the yard, and once I'm done, nobody will be able to enter, muggle or magical, without quite a bit of effort." Hermione nodded.

"What about the pool?" Remus nodded. The lawn man is going to care for the pool, don't you worry." She nodded slightly before she started down the hallway she had travelled just five days earlier.

This time, however, she stopped and took her time choosing a couple pictures to take with her and serve as a keepsake of her parents. She decided on two, one of her and her parents at a beach in France when she was around ten years old and one of their many wedding photos.

Once in her bedroom, she felt a wave of magic come down around her. She knew it was the wards that Remus was adding, but it was still disconcerting.

She threw all the clothes that currently fit her in her school trunk, along with all her school books from the last four had no idea how long it would be before she could visit her home again so she took everything that might serve a purpose.

Her toiletries came next, along with all her notes from her last school years. She would need them for O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. All her personal photos went on top of her belongings, making sure her trunk was good and full.

Hermione hadn't seen Crookshanks since her parents had died and she assumed he had been locked outside, running off when nobody had come to let him in. However, he strolled in her room at that exact moment as if he had never even been gone.

Hermione gave him a soft smile and bent down to scratch him behind his ears. The half-kneazle rubbed on her long enough that Hermione felt she had done her duty in giving him affection. She pointed to his carry case and he had no qualms about going right inside.

With one last look around her room, Hermione sighed and gathered her trunk in one hand and Crookshank's carrying case in the other. It was definitely heavy and awkward as all hell, but Hermione managed it until she reached the end of the rushed forward, wand extended, and shrank her trunk. She flashed him a grateful smile before she cast one last glance around her family home. Remus laid an arm around her shoulder.

"I know we'll never replace them, Mina, but I promise you that there will be people that love you just as much as your parents did. You aren't alone." She leaned into his side, but remained silent.

These were the words of comfort that she had been searching for in the crowds of people that had offered their condolences.

The pair was silent for several minutes before Remus squeezed her shoulder and stepped back. He was holding out the same watch from before so she didn't bother to ask what it was. Remus reached down and took Crookshanks for her. She was impressed. As a werewolf, she knew he wasn't fond of cats in the least.

Once Remus tapped the watch with his wand, the pair and Crookshanks spun away. They landed in an alley in what appeared to be a suburb. It was more along the lines of what Hermione had grown up knowing, but she knew that Harry had not led the wonderful life that she had. Remus snaked an arm around her shoulder again and started to lead her to the end of the alley.

The pair walked for several minutes. Hermione was convinced that Remus wasn't sure exactly where he was going. This was confirmed when Hermione pointed out the home labeled "4 Privet Drive" and Remus had sighed in relief. He gave her an embarrassed look.

"Sorry, I've never been here before. Dumbledore had always forbade me from visiting when Harry was younger." Hermione shook her head, the familiar lick of anger rising within her once again at how her best friend had been and still was treated. However, she remained silent.

Hermiome held her hand out for her cat, sure that Remus was going to need both of his hands. She cast a look around the neighborhood, noting that there weren't any neighbors out in their yards. However, if it was anything like her neighborhood, they wouldn't need to be outside to see exactly what was going on in their neighbor's yard. This guaranteed that they would at least be granted admittance into the home.

Hermione allowed Remus to lead her up to the door and she watched as he knocked three times on the door. There was shouting inside and Hermione imagined that they were yelling for Harry to get it. However, it wasn't Harry that opened the door, it was a portly teenager that could only pass as Harry's cousin Dudley. Remus broke the silence that fell between them. By the look on Dudley's face, it was clear that he knew exactly who Remus was.

"We're here for Harry. Can we come in?" Dudley gave a jerky nod and remained silent while he moved back. Remus stepped over the threshhold and Hermione followed after him. As soon as she and Remus were spotted by the walrus-like man, the bellowing began.

"Dudley, what the bloody hell?! We don't let freaks in the house!" The man heaved himself off of the couch and started towards Remus and Hermione. She shrank into her friend's side, hoping she would know how to handle him if he got violent. This seemed to spur Remus into action. He shoved Hermione completely behind him and he drew himself to his considerable height. His chest puffed out and he looked every bit the part of a dangerous werewolf. She was glad that she knew better.

"We're here for Harry. The quicker you can get him around and ready, the quicker we'll be gone." The Dursley in front of her huffed and puffed, but remained silent. Finally, he cast a glance over to the long-faced woman standing in the doorway and nodded. Harry's aunt disappeared before she heard shrill screaming up the stairs.

"Potter, you freak! Get your things together, you're leaving." Hermione heard him yell back down the stairs, but his family didn't acknowledge that they had heard him.

The room remained silent while they waited for Harry. His uncle lumbered his way back over to the couch and flopped back down. His aunt remained in the doorway as if she was too scared to stay, but too nervous to leave. Dudley stood off to the side and remained silent until he caught a good look at Hermione.

"What happened to your face?" She didn't want to answer any questions from the likes of Dudley so she just kept quiet. Non-plussed, he tried again.

"You're really pretty. You aren't a freak like Harry, are you?" Hermione had been determined to keep quiet so they could get in and out just as fast they could, but she hadn't expected his cousin to outright insult herself and her best friend in the same sentence. She glared at him as she stepped forward from behind Remus.

"Harry isn't a freak and neither am I. If you're asking if I'm magical, the answer is yes. If anyone in this house is a freak, it's you and your twisted parents for not realizing what a wonderful person your cousin is. Your life would only be richer if you welcomed him into it." Dudley just got angrier at the fact that she wasn't scared of him she was sure. Harry had told her that he was a huge bully.

Hermione stepped forward also, determined to not back down. She had faced down Terrance and won, she could definetely take on Dudley. Remus seemed to realize that this was something she needed to do so he stepped further back. Dudley entered her personal space, but she refused to give an inch.

"You think you can get away with calling me and my parents freaks?" Hermione put her hands on her hips and didn't back down.

"Why not? You called me a freak. Same difference. Besides, what are you going to do about it?" She never got to hear Dudley's response because there was sudden thundering on the stairs before Harry appeared with his trunk and owl cage clanging behind him. His eyes widened when he saw Hermione and the state that her face and neck were in.

Harry seemed to realize just then that she was toe to toe with his extremely large cousin. He dropped his owl cage (empty, thank goodness) and trunk so he could rush forward and pull Hermione back behind him.

"Leave her alone, Dudley. You may get to bully me, but you don't get to bully my friends." Remus stepped forward and laid a hand on both their shoulders. Hermione wrapped an arm around Harry's waist when he laid an arm across her shoulders.

"We'll be going now. Don't expect Harry for Christmas or Easter holidays." Nobody else said anything as Remus waved his wand at Harry's trunk so he could shrink it. Once it was only a fraction of the size it had been, Remus stuffed it in his pocket along with Hermione's.

Hermione couldn't believe how amazing it felt to be with people that cared about her. She knew that Isobel had cared for her, but nowhere near the way that Remus, Harry, and Sirius did.

Remus led them back out the door and through the yard until they were back in the alley that Hermione and Remus had arrived in. Once they stopped, Remus didn't give either of them a chance to speak. He dug in his pocket and dragged out a slip of parchment to hand them. Hermione took it and Harry read over her shoulder.

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at 12 Grimmauld Place." Harry looked up at Remus confused, but Hermione understood instantly. She handed the parchment back and Remus set it aflame. She turned to Harry.

"It's under the fidelius charm, just like your parent's house was. Nobody can tell anyone where we're located unless it's the Secret Keeper, in this case, Professor Dumbledore." Harry gave her an astounded look as did Remus. Remus cleared his throat.

"How did you know it was Albus?" She grinned at him, the first real one she had had since her parents had died.

"Only the Secret Keeper can write it down and that was quite obviously Professor Dumbledore's handwriting." Remus stared at her for a moment before he burst out in laughter.

"Merlin, I've missed the Brightest Witch of her Age." Hermione smiled again as Remus extended his hands to each of them.

"To go to Headquarters, we'll apparate. Much easier than a portkey. You'll both have to take my hands and hold on to your pet cages in your free hands." Hermione released Harry and took one of Remus' hands while Crookshanks swayed in her other. Harry took his other hand and both young Gryffindor's nodded their heads that they were ready.

With the feeling of squeezing through a small tube, Hermione, Harry, and Remus disappeared from suburbian hell and reappeared in a room that neither one of them recognized. Remus released their hands and put a hand on each of their shoulders to steady them in case they became sick. Hermione could admit that she most definitely felt a little nauseous. Once she had regained her stomach, she smiled at Remus. He took that as his cue.

"This is Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. It's Sirius' family home." As if he had summoned the older Gryffindor, Sirius walked into the room. His eyes lit up at the sight of Hermione and Harry. He rushed forward and gathered both teens into an embrace.

Hermione snuggled into his arms and breathed in the comforting scent that was just Sirius. Harry seemed to be holding onto his godfather just as tightly as she was. When she pulled away, Sirius seemed to notice her face. Before he could comment on it, she asked the question that had been burning in her gut for the last ten minutes.

"What's the Order of the Phoenix?" Sirius and Remus both chuckled though it was Sirius that answered.

"The Order of the Phoenix is the bad arse name of the people that fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Dumbledore founded it during the first war." Hermione nodded as she watched Remus draw her and Harry's trunks out of his pocket, enlarge them, and banish them into what she assumed would be their bedrooms.

There was a loud bang from what Hermione assumed was the kitchen followed by screeching that no doubt belonged the Molly Weasley. She groaned to herself. She was about to be harrangued and hounded by Molly, determined that she was being supportive. Merlin love the woman, but she was overbearing and took everything way too far.

Ron and the twins, followed closely by Ginny, came rushing out of one of the doorways and Hermione assumed that Molly lay on the other side of the door. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of her and suddenly, everything bad in her life came rushing back. Harry seemed to see that she visibly sagged and he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. She allowed the action and everyone in the room noticed.

Harry started to guide her towards the couch in what he now recognized as a library. He sat down on the couch next to her and Sirius took the seat on the other side of her. She laid her head on Harry's shoulder while Sirius threaded his fingers with hers. Ron, Ginny, and the twins watched on in silence as if they weren't really sure what to do. Finally, Fred (or was it George?) broke the silence.

"Gin, why don't you come with George and I? We have a product we want to try on Ronnikins and we need your help." Ginny wasn't stupid. She knew that the twins were trying to get her to give Hermione some privacy. She gave Hermione a smile before she turned to her twin brothers and nodded. Hermione waa grateful. As much as she adored the Weasleys, they wouldn't have understood just where her grief was coming from.

Remus and Ron took seats in the arm chairs across from the couch and everyone seemed to wait for someone else to break the silence. Finally, Sirius took it upon himself.

"Would you like me to heal your face, Poppet?" She turned to meet his eyes as she nodded. The room watched as Sirius produced his wand and muttered the incantation to heal the bruises marring the skin on her face and throat. Once they were gone, Sirius pocketed his wand again and Hermione relaxed. Harry shifted underneath her just enough for her to slide a smidgen closer.

"What happened to your face, 'Mi?" Harry's voice, while soft and seemingly sweet, had steel unlying his tone. She was embarrassed by what had happened to her so she turned her face just a little further into his chest so she didn't have to meet anyone's eyes.

"The oldest boy at that horrid house pinned me in the bathroom. He held me by the throat and felt on me. I was able to knee him in the groin and punch him in the face. He caught my hair as I ran past, but I managed to throw him down the stairs. The couple who ran the house asked me what happened and when I told them, George backhanded me for snitching." Harry fisted his hand in her curls so he could make her look him in the eyes.

"Did that boy do anything to you? Do we need to get Madam Pomfrey?" The rest of the room was silent as Hermione looked in Harry's eyes.

"No, he just felt me over my clothes. Nothing else happened." The rest of the room was quiet until Sirius chuckled. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy save Hermione. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm sorry, maybe it's bad form to laugh, but I just can't get the picture out of my head of tiny little Poppet here knocking some big bloke down the stairs after she punched him in the face. Bet he thinks twice before he tries that again." Hermione couldn't believe that she was about to laugh about something so serious, but she was. This is why Sirius would have been wonderful to have with her through her ordeal with her parents.

The room watched in surprise as she laughed alongside Sirius. It was several minutes before they quieted and Hermione laid her head back down on Harry's shoulder. Remus gave her a knowing look.

"Want to talk about it?" Her breath hitched involuntarily at his words. Tears started to trickle down her cheeks, the first she had cried aside from the two she had cried when she had first seen Remus. Sirius reached out and rubbed a hand on her knee in support. Before she realized what was happening, she was sobbing and trying to talk at the same time.

"It was so terrible. I was sitting by my pool in my bikini and the next I knew I was throwing on clothes and rushing to the hospital. My dad was already dead when I got there, but I got to see my mum. I tried to donate a kidney to her, but I wasn't a match. We had a short talk before she died in my arms." Hermione couldn't stop once she had started.

"It was so terrible and lonely at the same time. I had Isobel with me, but she barely knows me. I was so fucking sad and so fucking lonely. I wanted one of you there with me so bad. I never realized how fucking difficult it was to conceal the fact that I was magical when I couldn't even do magic. I had so many people ask me why I had a stick stuck in my hair." Harry wrapped his arms completely around her now so he could rock her softly.

"I had given up on you all. The day I wrote Harry, the London bobbies showed up and told me that I had to go into foster care until Dumbledore could be reached. It was so bloody terrible there, the couple felt nothing for those kids. I had resigned myself to staying there until September. I had been so sure that I wouldn't be there long at all. As thrilled as I am that I got to leave, I feel guilty for leaving the others. I just feel so much right now that I think I may explode."

Hermione felt Harry lift her fully into his lap and she buried her face in his neck. Nobody said a word, they simply listened to her sob and cry to the point where she was almost sick. She felt Sirius' hand tangle in her hair as he bent over to kiss the back of her head. She had almost calmed down when she finally spoke again.

"What's going to happen to me now? I have nowhere to go and who knows what Professor Dumbledore has planned for me. I mean, he sends Harry back to those horrid relatives of his every fucking summer, he'll probably send me off somewhere just as terrible." Even over her sobs, she heard someone stand and leave the room. She could only assume that it was Ron, and for the life of her, she didn't know why. Maybe the show of emotion had finally become too much for him.

Remus stood and knelt at her knees while Sirius leaned over. Sirius spoke, but Remus nodded his agreement.

"You're going to come right back here, Poppet. Dumbledore may be using it as Headquarters, but it's my home. Don't think that we'll let him send you back to a terrible place such as that." Harry nodded above her.

"If he tries to, I'll tell him I'll just run away from my aunt's house to save you. He won't want me to take that big of a risk." Hermione instantly sat up and glared at her best friend.

"Don't you dare, Harry. Your safety is more important than my happiness over the holidays." He gave her a smile before answering.

"Not to me. I'll do what I have to." She was saved from answering by Ron returning with a glass of water. He bent down and handed it to her. She took it with a smile before she took a long drink. When she finished it, she gave Ron a smile.

"Thanks, Ron. I didn't even realize how thirsty I was." His cheeks tinged red, but he remained quiet.

Hermione finally relaxed completely against Harry and tried to listen to the chatter going on around her. Everyone knew she was embarrassed about her breakdown and they were doing their best not to draw attention to it.

She was in a light doze when she felt Harry shift her out of his lap so she could lay on the couch between himself and Sirius. He laid her head in his lap and he stroked her curls softly. Sirius reached out and pulled her shoes off so he could softly rub her instep.

Finally, she was surrounded by people who loved her and for the first time in two weeks, she felt like things just might be alright. Her heavy thoughts all but disappeared as she felt full sleep take her under.

A/N- Another one bites the dust! Hermione is finally back with her friends in the wizarding world. Yay! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. For those holding on to the hope of a fic where Ron is not a bag of dicks, this is not your fic. He's gonna be a huge prick in this fic. Maybe next time around...anyways, leave me a message after the beep.

Next up, Harry's birthday and Hermione's plans in regards to the information she learned in the hospital with her mother.

Love,

Alicia


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- You guys are just so fucking awesome. Thank you for the overwhelming love you've already shown this story. It makes me want to write instead of grocery shop, haha. My hubby and brats may not appreciate that though. To everyone out there reading, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me. The characters belong to J.K.R. and the plot has been done before, I'm sure, by some fan fiction writer many years ago. I haven't made a single knut off any of my stories.

Chapter 5

July 31, 1995

Life at Grimmauld Place was so different than what she had expected. When she had heard headquarters to a secret organization that fought evil, her mind had gone straight to Batman and Robin, Superman, and the like. She had imagined spying and intrigue. What she had not expected was cleaning.

Molly Weasley had had them deep cleaning every single room in Grimmauld Place. It was mind-numbing work that passed the time, but Hermione couldn't say that she enjoyed it. While she didn't mind cleaning the muggle way, she always had at home, this level of cleanliness was something she hadn't expected.

As much as she hated cleaning this dark and dank home, Hermione kept her complaints to herself. She knew that the alternative was Janine and George Albright's house, and she would happily clean for the rest of her summer break as long as it meant she didn't have to return there.

Just because Hermione refrained from complaining, that didn't mean that anyone else did. While Ron and Ginny were the loudest in their displeasure, the twins and Harry also whinged more than their fair share. Hermione did her best to tune them out, but sometimes she stormed off in a huff because she just couldn't listen to them anymore.

Hermione figured that she should be more dedicated to cleaning the place she would call home for the forseeable future. Dumbledore had stopped by Grimmauld Place her second day there and pulled her aside so they could have a private conversation.

Hermione had been surprised when Dumbledore had apologized for leaving her with the Albrights for so long. The wizened wizard had explained that he had been out of the country doing his best to cultivate allies for the war. Hermione could hardly blame him for that so even though she really wanted to be angry about being left in the hellhole, she couldn't be. She had graciously forgiven her headmaster.

Dumbledore had gone on to inform her that while she would remain his ward, she would continue to reside at Grimmauld Place until he informed her otherwise. He had told her that while he knew Sirius and Remus weren't the most mature of adults, he was counting on the pair to be the adult supervision for her in the household. He had assured Hermione that if she needed anything whatsoever that she only had to speak with him and he would take care of it.

The loss of her parents was still fresh in her mind. She knew that it was impossible to get over their loss so quickly, but she was just a little surprised by how much easier she found it to focus elsewhere when she had friends that loved her near at all times.

Despite her friends being close, Hermione knew that she was depressed. There was really no surprise in the matter, she had been told by Harry that everyone in the house had expected it.

Molly Weasley had taken to coddling Hermione relentlessly. While she had appreciated it at first, after the first day, Hermione had kind of felt like the older Gryffindor was trying to take over the role as her mother. She was sure that Molly hadn't been meaning to, but it made Hermione nervous and unsettled her.

The rest of the house seemed to tiptoe around her. The newly introduced Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks didn't seem to know how to act around her after they had been informed of her loss. Bill and Charlie Weasley, both infrequent guests, seemed to be supportive in nature, but never really spoke at any length with her. The twins, Ginny, and Ron gave her plenty of space and never brought up her parents. To be honest, when she was around them, it was like her parents had never even existed.

Harry, Remus, and Sirius were the only ones who didn't coddle her and make her feel worse. When she was feeling down and didn't want to talk, they left her alone and continued on with their day. When she needed someone to talk to or cry on, Harry was the first one there to offer comfort.

Hermione had laid in bed the night before, pondering her last moments with her mother. Science didn't lie, and there was no explanation for why she would have a different blood type than her parents except adoption or obliviation. She couldn't come up with any other scenarios in her head.

She had laid there, once again confused, and wondered if she truly wanted to know just who her real parents were. Jake and Miranda Granger would always hold a place in her heart, they had raised her after all, but did that mean that she didn't want to know who had actually fathered her or carried her to term? It was a touch decision and she had struggled with te choice for a long while.

The deal breaker had come when Harry and sneaked into her room to talk to her like he almost every night after Ron had fallen asleep.

*Flashback*

Hermione's head didn't even turn at the knock anymore. Harry had come to see her before bed every night since she had been at Grimmauld Place bar one. While others may have thought that he was sneaking into her room for other reasons, Hermione found his presence at night to be comforting.

He opened the door and didn't say anything before he sat next to her on the bed, allowing her to flop out unceremoniously and lay her head in his lap. His fingers always found her curls, twisting and twirling them with his long digits. Sometimes, they would remain completely silent while other times they talked well past midnight.

It was this night that she had decided to tell Harry the whole story about Dr. Green's findings.

"I need to tell you something, Harry. You have to promise me your opinion of me won't change." His fingers stilled for a moment in her hair. His hand went to her shoulder so he could turn her to look at him.

"No matter what you tell me, I'm still going to think you're the most beautiful and most intelligent girl I know. That won't change." She stared right in his eyes so she could guage his sincerity. When she found him to be telling the truth, she gave him a soft smile and snuggled her face back down into his lap. She kept her silence for another few moments.

"When I was trying to donate a kidney to my mother, the doctor told me some disturbing news." She paused for a moment to make sure that she wasn't going to regret telling Harry. When she continued, her voice was small.

"The doctor told me that I couldn't donate a kidney because my parents were both type A blood type and I'm a type B." Harry was twisting one of her curls in his hand. When he spoke he sounded confused.

"I don't understand what that means, 'Mi." She rolled over so she was facing his abdomen, fiddling with the string on his tee shirt.

"If both my parents had type A blood, I should have had either type A or type O. I have neither, I have type B." Harry seemed to draw the same conclusions that she had. While he didn't say it right away, she could see that her words had shown their true meaning. When he did finally speak, his voice was tentative.

"This means you're adopted?" Hermione shrugged.

"I'm not sure. My dad always told me that I was born in a rainstorm, but my mum told me that day in the hospital that it was sunny. My mum swore to me that I belonged to her and my dad, that she had given birth to me." Harry stiffened when he seemed to come to the same conclusion that she had.

"You think someone altered their memories, making them believe that you were their child." Hermione nodded her head, closing her eyes when someone else said it out loud. For some reason, that made it seem more real. She finally broke the silence between them.

"I'm trying to decide if I want to just forget about it and honor my parents or if I want to pursue finding my birth parents." Harry reached out and began carding his fingers through her hair. Truthfully, she didn't think that he was even aware he did things like that sometimes.

Silence fell between them for a time. Hermione had almost dozed off when Harry finally spoke.

"If you did find them, would you want something to do with them? I mean, if you aren't planning on doing anything with the information once you have it, what's the point in finding out?" She shrugged her shoulders as best she could.

"If I did want them in my life, wouldn't that be betraying my parents?" Harry started laughing. Hermione was starting to get indignant. She really hated it when people laughed at her. Harry, however, noticed and quickly stopped.

"'Mi, don't be stupid. That wouldn't betray the love you have for your dead parents. If anything, from what you've told me about them, they're probably looking down at you right now and screaming at you to find a family that would love you. Sure, Sirius and Remus are great stand-ins, but the real thing is hard to pass up."

Hermione didn't say anything for a long time. She considered his words carefully and reasoned his statement as best she could. Of course she wanted another family. Not having someone to love and care for you was horrid. Even Harry would embrace another family if he were in her shoes.

"There's only one way that I can come up with to find out who my parents might be. I don't really fancy my chances with it either." Harry was silent, but raised his eye brows as if to urge her onwards.

"I need to brew a paternity potion." Harry scrunched his face up as he considered it.

"Do you have all the ingredients you need to make that potion?" Hermione shook her head.

"No, I think I'll have to catch Professor Snape next time he's here and see if I can convince him to brew it for me." Harry snorted.

"You know he'll want something in return." Hermione nodded. Severus Snape was a consummate Slytherin and he wouldn't do anything for nothing. She just hoped that he wouldn't ask for anything that she didn't want to give. However, she couldn't help but voice her fears.

"What if he won't do it? You know he hates me." Harry bent and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Then we'll steal ingredients from his rather formidable cupboard once we get to school amd you'll brew it yourself. If you can brew poly juice in second year, you can brew a paternity potion in fifth." Hermione shook her head.

"It's a mastery level potion, Harry. I don't think I'd be able to brew it yet." He snorted, but remained silent for a few moments. When he spoke, there was a tinge of amusement in his tone.

"Whatever level it's at, I know you can do it. We'll let Snape brew it though." She chuckled softly before she snuggled deeper into his lap.

"It's Professor Snape, Harry."

*End of Flashback*

Hermione was drawn from her thoughts by a loud banging in the kitchen.

It was Harry's fifteenth birthday and the whole household had been adamant about throwing him a party. Harry had told them all that he didn't need a party, that he just wanted to have a family dinner where all the people that he cared about attended, but Hermione, Ginny, and Molly had shot that down.

The whole house was determined to make it a memorable event for everyone involved. Neither Remus nor Sirius had ever been around for one of his birthdays (that he could remember), and Hermione knew that he was excited to celebrate with the two of them. Hermione had sent off an owl order for his gift, a signed quidditch jersey of Graham Seagood, seeker of Puddlemere United, Harry's favorite quidditch team.

Molly had been cooking since soon after dawn, singing about the fact that she was cooking for her "surrogate son". She wasn't sure if Harry appreciated her wording, but since he didn't bring it up, she didn't either.

All the available Order memeber were there standing around the kitchen and library, chatting good-naturedly about anything that came to mind. Hermione was currently flitting from conversation to conversation, doing her best to draw information from every source in the home.

Molly had been most adamant that none of the school children be aware of anything having to do with the Order of the Phoenix. Hermione got the feeling that if she could have kept the fact that 12 Grimmauld Place was the actual headquarters from them, she would have.

Molly, Ginny, and Tonks were making their way through all the rooms carrying snacks on trays and drinks in hand. Hermione wondered why they didn't just tell people to serve themselves, but she decided that since she wasn't being asked to help she didn't really have a reason to complain.

True to the Marauder name, Sirius and Remus were causing mischief throughout the house. Well, mostly Sirius was causing mischief and Remus was standing back laughing at him, but who was she to split hairs? Most of the pranks were in good fun and made everyone laugh which meant that Hermione was just fine with it. The twins would stand back in these moments and watch with a look of adoration on their features. Hermione didn't understand the draw or the humor, but everyone seemed happy so she kept her mouth shut.

Professor Dumbledore had came, Professor McGonagall in tow, which pleased Hermione to no end. Nobody wanted to discuss academics with her except Bill and Kingsley, and they mostly wanted to discuss Ancient Runes. While she did adore Ancient Runes, Transfiguration was where her heart lay. It was her all-time favorite subject and she simply adored Professor McGonagall. Most people would tell her that this was because she was her Head of House, but really, it was because the older woman was stern, but kind, and always treated everyone fairly no matter which House they originated from.

Dinner was a loud and boisterous affair with everyone seated around the table in the kitchen as if it were one of the tables in the Great Hall. There was laughter abound and Hermione didn't think that she had ever seen Harry so happy. He was never with his friends until after his birthday so this was probably the best birthday party he had ever had if his horrid relatives were anything to go by.

Cake and ice cream followed dinner, which Hermione could barely eat any of. She had never been one for sweets or pudding so when it followed a rather large meal, she had no problems turning it down. The fact that she had been raised by dentists probably didn't help either.

Harry and Ron put away far more than their fair share, however. Hermione still couldn't get over just how much the pair of them were able to eat. While Ron ate much like a hog at trough, however, Harry used proper table manners that seemed to detract from the sheer amount of mass that he was able to put away.

Harry began opening his gifts directly after he finished his cake. Since he had put away so much of it, everyone else had finished and was waiting for him and Ron to finish. When he saw the pile of gifts that had been brought for his birthday, Harry had blushed and stammered about how nobody needed to buy him anything, that their company was far more than he deserved.

Most everyone just laughed at his embarrassed ramblings and urged him on. It took him well over a half hour to open everything, and by the time he was finished, Hermione knew he was astounded.

Remus and Sirius had gone in together on their gift and purchased him a cape and gloves that were made of dragonhide, saying that it would help repel hexes, curses, and jinxes. Harry had been thrilled and had modeled his new wardrobe for the whole room. Hermione had been the first to admit that it was a very practical gift considering that Voldemort was now currently trying to kill him.

Molly and Arthur had decided to go with a practical gift and had purchased him a new set of dress robes. They fit him perfectly and had the sizing option so he could expand them as needed as he grew. Hermione admitted to herself that he looked quite dashing in them when he had tried them on.

The twins had made him a personalized box of pranks for him to take Hogwarts. While Ron and Ginny had shown great interest in the products, Professor McGonagall had rolled her eyes and shaken her head, exasperated. The older woman knew that those pranks were going to wreak havoc on someone in the school.

Ron had given Harry a new set of keeper's gloves, which Harry seemed to truly appreciate. Ginny had gifted him with the newest edition of "Quidditch Through the Ages". Bill and Charlie had gone in together and gotten him a whole line of his own personalized Quidditch jerseys.

There were several other gifts that Harry had received that Hermione couldn't remember and had been opened too fast for her to hear just who it was from. True to his good manners, Harry had stopped and thanked each and every person that had purchased him a gift. It broke Hermione's heart to realize that he had probably never had a birthday gift on his birthday that hadn't been delivered by owl.

Everyone seemed to gather around Harry while he tried to pick up the wrapping paper that had been scattered across the room from his binge opening. Deciding that she was getting a little too claustrophobic sitting in the same room as all the people that were attending the party, Hermione started gathering up dishes so she could haul them to the kitchen to be washed.

It was on her third trip into the kitchen that Hermione heard someone following her. When she turned to see just who it was, she was surprised to find Ron behind her with a load of dishes in his arms. This was highly irrgeular for Ron since he adored being coddled and waited on by his mother. When she shot him a questioning glance, he blushed slightly and set down his load of dishes in the sink.

"Since when do you help clear the table, Ronald?" She made sure that there was a soft lilt of amusement in her tone so he wouldn't think that she was unappreciative. He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Since I wanted to speak with you privately." He heaved a deep breath before he soldiered on.

"The truth is, Mione, I've liked you since our second year. I know I've gone about it the wrong way sometimes and that I was a complete fuck up last year with the Ball. I should have had the courage to just ask you, but I was scared to death that you would reject me. What I'm trying to say is, well, would you be my girlfriend?"

Hermione was equal parts horrified and impressed. She never would have thought that Ron would gather the stones to actually ask her to be his girlfriend. The fact that he had done so was a huge milestone for him. The horrified part came in at the same point.

Hermione hadn't liked Ron like that in quite some time. Her attention had turned to Harry the night that they had saved Sirius together. The ride on the hippogriff, while absolutely terrifying, had been exhilarating, and Hermione had felt like she had never been lighter even with the weight of what occurred that night on her shoulders.

Hermione knew that Harry didn't see her like that. He saw her as the sister that would always stand behind him and always offer her advice. That was made clear when he had openly mooned after Cho for the whole of their fourth year. She did her best to not let it affect their friendship or how she acted around him, but it had grown increasingly difficult.

This being said, Hermione knew that she couldn't agree to date Ron when she had such strong feelings for Harry. Not only would it be unfair to Ron, immensely so, it would have been unfair to her. She didn't want to spend her time pretending to have serious feelings for someone just because it was expected of her by some of the people in their home. Clearing her throat, she decided to let him down fairly easy. It wasn't entirely honest on her part, but it would do until she could gather her courage to shoot him down proper. After all, she had never had this problem before. She had never thought she would have this problem. There were few men that would want anything to do with her romantically.

"Ron, I appreciate the sentiment and the offer. I truly do." His face clouded over and instantly turned red. When he spoke, his tone was harsh.

"I see how it is, Hermione. Had my chance and I blew it, did I?" She would forever regret not answering in the affirmative to his snide comment. She reached out and grasped his hand in her own, his large hand dwarfing her tiny one.

"That's not it at all, Ronald. My parents just died. My mum died in my arms and there was nothing I could do to save them. Do you have any idea what that's like?" He shook his head which she took as a good sign. Therefore, she continued.

"I have so many things going on inside my head right now and the last thing I need is one more thing to complicate my life further. Please don't ask me to do that." He cast his eyes downward and finally nodded his head.

"Yeah, alright. I can see how it would all be pretty overwhelming. I'll give you some time and ask again when you're doing better." While that response wasn't ideal, it would do for now. Hermione wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak.

Ron approached and kissed her cheek softly. She remained unmoving and silent as he dropped his load of dishes and made his way back out into the library, leaving her alone once again. Before Hermione had even realized that she wasn't alone, Ginny stepped out from the shadows.

"You don't have feelings for him like that. You should have just been honest." Hermione dropped her head in shame.

"I know I should have. I've never had to turn down a boy's advances though. I wasn't truly sure what I was doing." Ginny chuckled and stepped beside Hermione so she could wrap an arm around her waist.

"We'll practice later after everyone goes to bed. We can role play, I'll be Ron, and you can practice telling me that you only feel for me like a friend or a brother." Hermione knew this was more than she deserved from Ron's sister. Her loyalty should be to her brother first, but she was helping Hermione instead. Hermione smiled at the younger girl.

"That would be great, Gin. Next time, I'll be ready for him." Ginny chuckled and moved to leave the kitchen. As she walked out the doorway, she hollered over her shoulder.

"Tonight at eleven, your room." Hermione couldn't help but to grin at Ginny's antics.

-O-

This had been the best birthday Harry had ever had. Sure, his birthdays since he had started Hogwarts had been much better than his earlier birthdays, but they had still been spent at 4 Privet Drive. He had never had a birthday party or friends to spend the day with. He has never had Hermione there.

Harry was trying to come to grips with the realization that Hermione would never feel more for him that brotherly love. It had taken him much longer to realize his feelings for her than he wanted to admit, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now.

Going to her room every night so she could rest her head in his lap was pure torture. He had to constantly think of quidditch fouls so he wouldn't get a raging hard on. For some reason, he didn't think that Hermione would appreciate being stabbed in the back of her head with his cock while she was pouring her heart out to him.

Harry was certain that Hermione still had feelings for Ron. He had been certain of it all last year. She had been heartbroken when Ron hadn't believed that Harry hadn't put his own name in the Goblet of Fire. She had hated that they were fighting.

This being said, Harry was completely and utterly surprised to hear Hermione turn Ron down in the kitchen. He knew he shouldn't be hiding outside the door and eavesdropping, but he wanted to be able to react accordingly if she had answered him with a resounding yes.

Instead, Hermione had fobbed Ron off with some half-arsed answer of how she didn't need the added complications and such. Even Harry could tell that she just didn't want to hurt his feelings and that she didn't know how to let him down easy. Honestly, if Ron hadn't been so close to the situation, he would have noticed it too.

Once Ron left, Ginny had appeared in the kitchen and had blasted that Hermione didn't feel for Ron like he had thought. When had she stopped liking their red-headed best friend? He was so confused. Ginny had offered to help Hermione figure out a way to tell Ron that she didn't care for him like that the next time he came calling and Harry couldn't have been more ecstatic.

The young Gryffindor was startled out of his joyous feelings when the door swung open and Ginny was revealed. She yelled one last time to Hermione before she turned her full attention to Harry.

"Tsk, tsk, Harry, eavesdropping on girl talk." He knew that his face was bright red and that his cheeks were hot. This just made Ginny grin even wider.

"I know why you were listening." His eyes widened and he couldn't help but wonder if it was true. Was he that transparent? Ginny just laughed.

"You wanted to know what her answer was so you could hide how hurt you were if she said yes." Harry dropped his eyes at her very truthful guess. Ginny leaned forward so she could whisper in his ear.

"You're an idiot, Potter. She turned him down because she's in love with you. She doesn't think you're in love with her." Harry's head came up at record speed.

"What?" Ginny laughed again and stepped back.

"Heemione told Ron no because she's in love with you. Well, and one other, but she's loved you since you saved Sirius together. It's so obvious. If you hadn't spent the whole year mooning over Cho, you would have noticed too." Harry didn't know what to say. Regardless of what he said, he knew he would just embarrass himself. What came out of his mouth wasn't what he expected.

"Who else is she in love with?" Ginny gave him a conspiratorial smile.

"Well, I wouldn't say in love with, but definetely in like with. I won't say, even though you should know as her best friend. Can you think of nobody that's smart enough to keep Hermione's attention?" Ginny didn't wait for him to answer, just sauntered off. Before she was out of sight, she turned back and called to him.

"Don't go by her room tonight, we have plans." Harry just shook his head and couldn't help but smile after her.

The rest of the evening went by quickly. The big party broke up into several smaller groups that pursued their own line of conversation. Harry flitted from group to group, making sure to thank everyone for coming and for their thoughtful gifts. He kept a steady eye on Hermione from across the room. She stayed mostly with Sirius and Remus, chuckling softly behind her hand when they started fooling around. Harry adored that she loved the only family he had left.

He bestowed a quick hug upon Molly and Tonks ruffled his hair like he was six. He mock-glared at her, but didn't say anything against her since she really had done a lot of hard work to make this party happen. He noticed that she kept casting furtive glances over to Remus, Sirius, and Hermione. Since Hermione was a female and Sirius was her cousin, he could only assume that it was Remus that had caught her eye.

The party finally ended around nine. Harry had tried to stick around and help clean up since the party had been in his honor, but Molly wouldn't hear of it. She swatted him with a towel much the same as she did her own children and shuffled him off to bed. As he came down the corridor, Hermione stepped out of the loo in her tank top and night shorts.

Harry couldn't help but stare at her. Her body was beautiful and she didn't seem to realize it. Her breasts were full, pert, and made him want to bury his face in them. Her nipples were poking out of her thin tank top, teasing him relentlessly. It took every last bit of restraint he had not to reach out and tweak one of them.

Her waist dipped inward perfectly,and when paired with her flared hips and lean legs, she had the perfect hourglass figure. Her shorts were short enough that he was treated with a long expanse of soft tanned skin and her cute little feet were bare. He must have been staring for longer than he thought because Hermione reached out and laid a hand across his forehead, obviously checking for a fever.

"Are you alright, Harry? You look flushed." He visibly shook himself.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just tired." She gave him a smile before she floated into the circle of his arms and hugged him round the waist.

"Happy birthday, Harry. I'm so glad we finally got to celebrate with you." He leaned his face down closer to her hair so he could breathe in her cherry blossom and vanilla scent. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head before she pulled away.

"Me too, 'Mi. Goodnight." She smiled one last time before she disappeared into her room.

Harry bolted into his room and shut the door tightly behind him. Ron was already snoring and for that Harry was grateful. The erection he was now sporting would have been awkward in explaining to his best friend.

Knowing he really wanted to have a good old fashioned wank but couldn't because Ron was present, he threw himself on his bed and did his best to take deep breaths and calm down. He swore to himself that he would recall that exact moment in the corridor the next morning in the shower so he could show himself a good time.

It took several minutes, but he was able to will his cock to deflate. Not letting himself focus on Ginny's words to him and what they could possibly mean, Harry rolled over, closed his eyes, and let himself be carried off to sleep.

A/N- There she is, kids. Another chapter down. I'm hoping you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again to everyone for reading, I appreciate it so much. Leave me your thoughts, they make me smile.

Next up, Hermione catches Snape at Headquarters, Draco makes his first appearance, and a secret relationship is revealed. Stay tuned!

Love,

Alicia


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- You all have shown me so much love with your feedback. I appreciate it so much. It really does keep me motivated. I don't have much else to say, so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the aforementioned characters from previous chapters. The main characters all belong to J.K.R. and I'm sure the plot has been done before.

Chapter 6

August 13, 1995

Hermione was finally starting to feel like Grimmauld Place was home. She no longer felt sheepish about digging around in the ice box when she was hungry and she no longer felt like she was in the way when she interrupted Sirius and Remus in the library. She supposed that this was what Professor Dumbledore had been shooting for, but she couldn't be certain.

Sirius and Remus had gone out of their way to make her feel welcome, had told her that their home was her home. Even though the household had a decrepit house elf by the name of Kreacher, Hermione did the best she could to help out around the house. Everyone told her that she was crazy, that she should let Kreacher earn his keep, but that just served to make her angry which ultimately made her shut down.

Harry seemed to be the first to realize that those words bothered her and resulted in her being silent for hours. She suspected that he told Remus and Sirius because after the first couple times of them saying things about the small elf, they kept those comments to themselves. The Weasleys didn't seem bothered either way about Kreacher's presence or what he did for the household.

Raised voices in the kitchen dragged her out of her reverie and brought her back to the present. She knew without a doubt that it was Molly yelling at her four youngest children, trying to ready them for the trip into Diagon Alley. Remus, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were to accompany Molly, her four children, Harry, and Hermione to the crowded Alley and purchase their supplies for the upcoming year.

Hermione had been shopping with the Weasleys before and to say that it was a disaster would have been an understatement. There was absolutely no organization and everyone fought the whole time they were gone. It drove Hermione completely crazy, but there wasn't anything she could do about it. There was safety in numbers and if there was one thing the Weasleys had, it was numbers.

Hermione checked her appearance in the hallway mirror. There wasn't much she could do for her hair so she just threw it up in a messy bun. Tendrils hung down her neck and tickled her shoulders, but that was the only unkempt thing about her.

Hermione wore a pair of jean shorts that her mother had insisted on buying her just a week before she was killed. They reached mid-thigh and were such a light denim that they were almost white. Her tank top was a sapphire blue with rhinestones splashed across the front, enhancing the bust she had seemed to sprout overnight. The young Gryffindor topped her outfit off with a pair of white flip flops that made her bright blue toenails pop. She felt like she looked decent.

Harry came up behind her and threw his arm around her shoulders as he smiled at her. He had become much more affectionate with her than he ever had been before. Why, she wasn't sure, but she appreciated it all the same. While she didn't get her hopes up in regards to a relationship between the two of them, that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy the extra affection he showered upon her.

"You ready, beautiful?" Hermione started a little at his term of endearment. While she had no objections to being called beautiful by one of the men that she was interested in, it was a little out of the ordinary that Harry would randomly call her that. She smiled up at him, surprised once again that they were no longer the same height.

For their first two years at Hogwarts, Hermione had been taller than Harry. Merlin, almost everyone was taller than Harry those first two years. Hermione had been quite certain that it had to do with stunted growth due to not being fed properly, but he had sprouted his third year. Now that they were going into their fifth year, Hermione looked up a good six inches to meet Harry's gaze. She smiled a shy smile his way and leaned into his side.

"I'm ready. Do I look alright?" Harry kissed her forehead, also a form of affection that she wasn't quite used to from her normally emotionally-repressed friend.

"You look great." Her heart skipped just a little at his words and she hated herself for was better than blushing at the praise of a man.

Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and started to guide her towards the entrance of Grimmauld Place. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Kingsley were sitting there waiting for them, Sirius the only one looking like he was saddened that he couldn't go. If Hermione was honest, she would have said that everyone else looked like they wanted to shoot themselves rather than go. The Gryffindor felt rather bad that the lot of them had to go on the outing with them just because it was deemed unsafe.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I know school shopping doesn't get you going like it does me, but I appreciate you accompanying us to keep us safe all the same." It seemed that Hermione's words spurred a guilty conscience without meaning to. Remus spoke quickly.

"It's not your fault, Mina. Nobody wants to be responsible for the Weasley twins." Hermione could understand that more than most since she had learned that she and Ron had been made prefects. She had a feeling keeping Fred and George in line would become a full time job once they were back at Hogwarts.

For all of a day, it had been a subject of contention between the Trio, mostly because Ron had landed the position and he was the worst academically seated between the three of them. Harry and Hermione both had thought that Harry had been cheated, but neither had the amount of power needed to tell the Headmaster that he was an idiot. Not to mention the fact that Ron would have seen that action as an act of betrayal against their friendship. Therefore, Harry had decided to let the matter go and move on, letting Ron have the place that would have rightly been accorded to Harry as the best academically seated male in their year.

The five of them waited as patiently as they could for the Weasleys to appear. When they finally did some twenty minutes later, Hermione was beyond irritated. However, it did her no good to show it or to get exasperated. It would simply cause more ten people traveling to Diagon Alley that day grabbed ahold of an old belt that Remus had clutched in his hand.

The large group spun away, and after a fair bit of time, they seemed to land right at the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. Remus instantly took charge of the scene, splitting people into two groups. Hermione wasn't sure if he realized it or not, but he had seemed to split Hermione and her friends up into groups surrounding their interests.

Molly, Fred, George, and Ron started for Madam Malkin's as they all needed new robes. While Hermione and Harry both needed new robes as well, Hermione had thrown a fit about missing the bookstore. Remus, understanding exactly where she was coming from, had offered to take Hermione and whoever else wanted to visit Flourish and Blotts along with him, Tonks, and Kingsley. Ginny and Harry had quickly accepted.

Flourish and Blotts was their longest stop. Hermione browsed for over two hours and she couldn't have been happier. Remus seemed just as lost in the world of books as she was while everyone else seemed to be either absent or napping in a chair. Harry was seated in a chair in the reading nook deep in a book about obscure Quidditch rules. Tonks was snoring in a corner seat, drool hanging out her mouth in a most unattractive way. Kingsley was nowhere to be found.

Hermione turned the corner into the Transfiguration section and was so surprised that she squeaked. Ginny, who Hermione hadn't seen in over an hour, had Luna pressed up against the shelf, hand up her shirt and mouth fused to the Ravenclaw's. Luna's hand was tangled in Ginny's long red tresses so she could hold her close. Hermione was so surprised that she couldn't help but to squeak.

The pair broke apart and Hermione couldn't help but to compare them to a deer caught in headlights. For a few moments, the three of them just stared at each other. Finally, Hermione couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." Ginny chuckled and ran a hand through her mussed hair.

"It's fine, Mione. We should have been somewhere more private if we didn't want to take the chance of someone finding out." Hermione clasped her hands in front of her and knotted her fingers together. She didn't want to cause any problems for the two of them and she felt the overwhelming urge to make that clear.

"Listen, I'm not going to tell anyone. It seems like you want this to remain a secret so I just want you to know that you can trust me." Ginny chuckled as she reached over and fixed Luna's long blond hair. Hermione didn't know the Ravenclaw well, but she knew that the girl was highly intelligent, if just a little bit barmy. Hermione wasn't trying to judge. Sometimes the most brilliant people were considered to be just a little bit mad.

"Thank you, Mione. We're not ashamed of what we have here, but the less drama we have at the moment the better. Can you imagine Ron's reaaction?" Hermione covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled.

"He wouldn't take it well, although you would think he would like it. He wouldn't have to put forth the effort into threatening a boy on your behalf." Ginny snorted at her words.

"Ron would have to realize that first and I think it's going to take a bit before he actually connects the dots. Merlin love him, but he isn't the brightest star in the sky." Hermione merely grinned at her female friend.

"If you guys move to the Astronomy section, we can act like we never had this conversation. Your secret will remain safe." Ginny grinned and nodded.

"Great idea, Mione. Lets go, Lu." The pair wandered off to what Hermione assumed was the Astrology section.

Hermione immersed herself in the Transfiguration section. She was trying to decide between a book about advanced human transfiguration and the properties needed to try to defy Gamp's universal laws when she heard a familiar voice drawl behind her.

Draco Malfoy was standing behind her, leaning casually against the shelf, wizards robes hanging perfectly on his muscular body, smirk on his face. Hermione didn't think he had ever looked sexier. She shook her head slightly trying to clear the thoughts from her mind.

Hermione had had a crush on Draco Malfoy since her second year. It was actually pretty twisted since he had spent the whole of their second year wishing she would die by the means of the Slytherin monster. Regardless, Hermione couldn't help the fact that she was attracted to not only his classic aristocratic appearance, but also his fierce and cunning intellect.

Malfoy was the only student that actually gave her a run for her money when it came to the world of academics. She loved the challenge that he provided and she wished that they would have been able to discuss interesting topics with each other. It would never happen in the current political climate though so she had resigned herself to admire him from afar.

"Granger. Getting a head start on your studies already?" Hermione lowered her eyes. He was there to make fun of her. While this wasn't something new, it was the last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment. Instead of answering, she remained silent and acted like she hadn't heard him. When he realized that she wasn't going to answer him, he stepped forward and snagged the book about Gamp's laws from her and placed it on the shelf.

"We have this one at the Manor. It's a complete waste of time to read it. I suggest going with the human transfiguaration book." Her head came up and she met his gaze for the first time in she didn't know how long.

"Really? You've read it?" Malfoy chuckled at the look on her face.

"I'm not naturally intelligent like you are. I have to work for my grades." Hermione felt her cheeks flush at his words.

Why was he being nice to her? Did he have a bet going on with his friends about her? She didn't understand what had changed between them, in fact, she didn't think that anything had, but Draco's behavior sure hinted to the fact that it had. She glanced down at the book left in her hand as she spoke.

"I have to work really hard for my grades too. You're just as smart." He snorted at her words.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself, Granger." He paused for a moment before he spoke again.

"Severus mentioned to me about what happened to your parents. I'm sorry." She really didn't understand what was happening now. Instantly, she became suspicious.

"You're sorry? Don't you mean you're thrilled? Two less muggles for the world to deal with?" Draco smirked again, but stepped forward. Refusing to back down from a bully, she held her ground and raised her chin in defiance. His hand snaked out and caught one of the more errant curls that was hanging down to brush her shoulder. He fingered it softly before he tucked it behind her ear. Her breath caught at the almost tender exchange between the two of them.

"You're only seeing what everyone wants you to see, Granger. Not everything is as it seems." Hermione didn't know exactly what she was supposed to say to that. She wasn't even entirely sure just what it was that he was trying to say so she remained quiet instead. Draco caught her hand in his and brought it to his mouth so he could press his lips to the skin of her knuckles.

"I must go. I'll see you on the Express."

Hermione watched him turn and leave, his expensive robes billowing out behind him. She was entirely unsure of what had just happened and she had no idea how to act accordingly. Her first thought was to run to Harry and ask him just what had happened and what she should do, but she had a feeling that he would overreact and tell her she was being stupid. That was the last thing she wanted. Therefore, she was determined to just keep quiet about the whole encounter.

Shortly after her time with Draco, Hermione was found by Remus. He told her that everyone else was ready to move on to the next stop so they needed to check out. Deciding to take Draco's advice, she put the human transfiguration book in her pile of books to buy.

The group of six left Flourish and Blotts and decided to go to Madam Malkin's next. Hermione definitely needed new robes, not so much because she had grown taller, but because her bust had increased over the summer. That had been evidenced in the fact that she had needed a new bikini at the beginning of the summer.

Madam Malkin was as efficient as ever. She had Hermione measured and fitted for new robes and new uniforms in hardly any time at all. She did purchase a few extra peices of clothing since she wasn't really sure when she would be able to buy new clothing next.

Ginny went next and it had seemed that Molly had already left specific instructuons on exactly what to order for the girl once she has her measurements. Hermione was thankful that her mother had never been that controlling. She had always had the freedom of choosing her own clothing. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the Weasleys usually didn't have very much money.

Harry was fitted rather quickly as well. He tried to get away with just ordering the bare minimum, but Hermione and Ginny refused to let him. Remus watched on, laughter in his eyes, while the two girls steamrolled him and made him order clothes that actually fit him. While they weren't muggle clothing, the robes were still stylish and fit him well. Hermione could admit to herself that he cut just as dashing a figure in his robes as Draco did in his.

Their group stopped at the apothecary so they could restock their potions kit, Eyelop's Emporium so they could replenish their pet supplies. A stop to Scrivenshaft's saw all three students loading up on their supply of quills, ink, and parchment. It was while she was paying for her purchases that she glanced out the window and saw Draco standing across the Alley with Theo Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass. Pansy was hanging on his arm and she watched as he slung his arm around her shoulders. For some reason, she felt like it was a betrayal even though she knew it really wasn't. There was nothing between herself and Draco to betray.

Hermione couldn't keep her eyes off of the scene as they left Scrivenshaft's. Honestly, it was probably a good thing that he wasn't any closer so he couldn't see the look in her eyes. At the last moment, Draco looked up and saw her watching him. His arm fell away from Pansy and he looked like he wanted to come up to her and say something. Hermione held his gaze for just a couple moments before Harry seemed to realize that she was upset about something and wrapped an arm her shoulders so he could ask her softly what was wrong.

There was an unknown emotion that flitted through Draco's gaze for just half a second, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. Hermione turned from Draco and assured Harry that she was fine, that she waa simply tired from a day of shopping. He didn't remove his arm from around her and she leaned into his side despite the heat.

Hermione put the encounter out of her mind as the Leaky Cauldron came into view. They had managed to spend the entire day in Diagon Alley and she suddenly realized that she was starving. Molly, the twins, and Ron were waiting outside the bar, everyone but Molly looking as impatient as ever.

Remus held the same old belt that they had used to travel to Diagon All out in front of him. Everyone took hold of it and when Remus tapped it with his wand, it activated. The group spun away and landed in a heap in the same spot in Grimmauld Place that they had left from.

Molly ushered them off to put their things away while she started dinner. Hermione was a little excited to see who all would show up for dinner that night. It was no surprise that the Order of the Phoenix was holding a meeting that evening after dinner. Everyone had been invited to come and eat, a pleasant precursor to what she assumed would be unpleasant conversation.

Hermione carefully put her new supplies and clothing away in her school trunkb having cleaned it out of most of her belongings when she had been informed by Professor Dumbledore that she would be calling Grimmauld Place home. It was for this very reason that she was allowed her own room instead of having to share with Ginny. While Hermione didn't mind sharing with her redheaded friend, she wasn't going to complain about having her own room either. Sirius had even given her official dispensation to decorate it as she so pleased.

Once she had unpacked, Hermione made her way over to Harry and Ron's room to see if she could prod them along to getting their things packed away quicker. It was a good thing that she did since they were locked down in a serious conversation about whatever obscure quidditch rules Harry had read about that afternoon.

She had scolded them good-naturedly and urged them to put their things away as they discussed. Both rolled their eyes at her, but did as she bid them to. She laid down on Harry's bed and snuggled into his pillow. It was comforting since it smelled strongly of him. She closed her eyes and let the conversation between her two friends lull her into a light doze.

While she was mostly asleep, Hermione could still hear her friends conversing around her. It didn't seem like long before she felt someone lay a light blanket over her. She could tell that it was Harry that settled next to her and leaned against the headboard behind her. She had almost fully settled into sleep when she realized that Ron was talking about her.

"When do you think I should ask her again? I mean, she's doing better with her parents and all." Harry reached out and brushed hair off her forehead. She wasn't sure if Ron had seen him do it or not, but given the nature of the conversation, she would almost bet that he hadn't.

"I don't know, Ron, she still has bad days. Imagine how you would feel if you lost both your parents. She acts better in front of people, but I'm guessing that she hides a lot for everyone else's sake." Hermione realized that Harry hadn't told Ron that he sneaked into her room almost every night so they could talk. Harry knew exactly what her frame of mind was. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

"I can't wait until she tells me yes. I mean, have you seen her lately? Even today, Merlin, that body was made for shagging." She was just a little hurt that that was the reason that Ron wanted to date her. Harry sounded angry when he spoke.

"Mate, don't talk about her like that. She's our best friend. You shouldn't be trying to date our best friend just so you can shag her. She deserves better than that." Ron sputtered.

"That's not why I wanna date her, I like her, I really do. That's just going to be an added bonus." Harry didn't say anything, but Hermione could feel the tension in the room. They were saved by Molly yelling something unintelligible up the stairs to them. Only moments passed before Harry was shaking her softly.

"Come on, 'Mi, it's time to eat." She sat up groggily and she couldn't help but wish that she had been allowed another hour of sleep. Harry held his hand out to her and helped her off the bed. She smiled at him as she accepted his help.

The trio made their way down the stairs to find a full kitchen. Not only were Remus, Sirius, and Arthur present, Bill, Charlie, Tonks, Kingsley, Alastor Moody, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and many others that Hermione didn't recognize were milling around.

Molly bade everyone to take their seats and she levitated the many dishes of food to the table. The meal was full of laughter, but contained plenty of sarcastic bickering between Professor Snape and Sirius. Hermione knew that there was history between the two of them. While she didn't know the exact nature of said history, she did her best to stay out of their sniping at each other even though she wanted nothing more than to tell them to act their damn age.

Hermione had already made plans to stake out the meeting. While she had already learned from the first meeting that had been held once she had moved to Grimmauld Place that she couldn't hear anything that was said during the meetings, she was going to make her move tonight. She was going to try to intercept Professor Snape and see if she could convince him to brew the paternity potion for her.

Harry was the only one that knew anything of her plans and he told her that she was crazy for thinking that Professor Snape would help her for nothing. While she hoped that the snarky professor would do it out of the goodness of his heart, she was aware that the possibility of that was highly unlikely.

It wasn't long before Molly started shooing everyone under the age of seventeen out of the room. When she snapped a towel in Hermione's direction, she turned heatedly and was about to lambast the older woman for her treatment of children that didn't belong to her. Sirius saw exactly what was coming and caught her round the shoulders.

"It's not worth it, Poppet. Just do as she asks so we can get through this as painlessly as possible." She was aware that it was a little childish of her, but she huffed at his words. She couldn't help but feel like he was taking Molly's side when he wanted her to act like Molly's behavior didn't bother her.

Harry and Ron both threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her with them to the library. She sighed as she calmed down. She couldn't get angry at Sirius for asking that she not cause a scene before a meeting. The Order was far more important than her personal feelings.

Once in the library, Hermione settled in an arm chair by the fire. It was from experience that she knew that Professor Snape always flooed to and from Hogwarts and Grimmauld Place. She supposed that it was easier to spin away and land in your office than it was to apparate and walk from the gates of Hogwarts to the castle itself.

Hermione buried herself in one of the books she had purchased from Flourish and Blotts that day. She had no idea how long the meeting would last so she figured she might as well get some reading in. Harry and Ron set up the wizard's chess set close to her chair while Ginny flipped through a copy of Witch Weekly. The twins had disappeared as soon as they had been kicked out of the kitchen. Hermione could only assume that they were plotting mischief as usual.

Two hours passed with nobody joining them in the library. Hermione was starting to wonder what the Order members could possibly be discussing when she heard a door bang open and against a wall. She looked up just in time to see Professor Snape stalk into the library, his expression dark. Sirius was yelling after him.

"Run away, Snivellous, that's what cowards are good at!" Hermione had a feeling that she was going to regret trying to ask him for help now, but there wasn't much she could do about it. He was her only hope at making sure this potion was brewed correctly. His hand was buried in the floo powder when she quickly stood.

"Professor, may I speak with you for a moment? Privately?" He turned his dark gaze to meet hers and a sneer marred his features. Ron and Ginny looked incredulous and were shaking their heads in amazement at her nerve.

"There is no reason to speak with you, Miss Granger, as I am not handing out chances for you to be an insufferable know-it-all. It's torture enough that I have to deal with you during term." Hermione did her best to let his hurtful words roll off her back. She kept her eyes on his hoping that he could see how serious she was.

"Please, Professor, it's important." He heaved a sigh and glared at her. Finally, he turned to the other three occupants of the room.

"You heard her, she said privately. Get out." Harry, Ron, and Ginny were quick to stand and gather their things so they could leave her alone with their hated professor. Once they were gone, Professor Snape turned back to Hermione.

"Make it quick, Miss Granger. Unlike yourself, I have important things to do during my holiday." She nodded before she spoke.

"I know you don't care about the details so I won't bore you. I don't think my parents were really my parents. Could you please brew me a paternity potion or guide me in making my own?" He was silent for almost a minute.

"What makes you think that I care even the tiniest bit about your mummy and daddy issues?" Hermione was struggling with his outright hatred for her. For some reason, she had always thought that he only treated her so badly because of his position as a spy, that he would be a much nicer person if he had been able to. It was obvious that his hatred for her was genuine and she didn't understand why he felt that way. Sure, she had been a bit of a pill the first couple years at Hogwarts, but she had thought that she had gotten better.

"I know you don't care, sir. Please, it's very important to me, I'd do just about anything for answers." His features took on a new look as he pondered her words. Almost another minute passed before he spoke.

"I will brew the potion for you if you do something for me." Hermione nodded eagerly.

"What do you want, sir?" His voice was flat when he spoke.

"You're obviously going to qualify for N.E.W.T. level potions. What I want you to do is after this year, drop the subject. I find that the less I see of you, the better." Hermione felt her heart stop at his words.

He wanted her to drop his class just because he didn't like her? What kind of teacher was he? He had just off-handedly told her that she was smart when he said that she would qualify for potions next year, but he would much rather waste her talent. However, this was her one chance to find out the truth. What if she didn't take this chance and she never discovered who her parents were? Could she live with the uncertainty? With watery eyes, she met his gaze.

"Very well, sir." He smirked at her.

"I'll begin tonight. Enjoy your last year of Potions, Miss Granger." Without another word, he turned so sharply that his billowing robes hit her legs. He disappeared into the fireplace and Hermione was left alone.

Hermione didn't bother to wait for anyone else to leave the meeting. She felt like a robot as she trudged up the stairs to her room. While she knew she didn't want her future to be in potions, it somehow made her feel dirty to know that she had just agreed to such a shady deal that put her future in jeopardy. What would her parents say to her if they had been alive to hear? They would have scolded her for gambling with her future. Education was the one thing her parents had valued above all else. Hot shame flooded her at the realization that Jake and Miranda Granger would have been disappointed in her.

Tears stung her eyes as she entered her bedroom and stripped off her clothes. A mismatched set of pajamas were thrown on while her mind whizzed through the possibilities of what she could do to rectify the situation. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall would just make the situation worse if they were to go to Professor Snape and made him accept her in his class. He would think she had no honor.

Finally, Hermione decided on the best option she could come up with. She vowed to study potions on her own and just test on potions without taking the classes. She was certain that if she explained the situation to Professor McGonagall her seventh year, she would allow it to happen.

Hermione had just crawled under her blanket when the now normal knock on her bedroom door broke the silence. She didn't say anything, just waited for Harry to come in. He didn't say anything when he entered, just crawled under the blanket with her. While he usually allowed her to lay her head in his lap, tonight she wasn't sure what she wanted. When he was laying next to her, she snuggled into his side. His arms came around her and he held her tight. Harry didn't say anything, just simply waited for her to speak if that's what she wanted.

"He agreed to brew it if I agreed to drop Potions next year." He was silent for several seconds.

"Did you agree?" Hermione nodded into his chest.

"Yes, but I feel dirty. Almost like I blackmailed somebody or something like that. My parents would be disappointed in me if they knew I did this." Harry sighed.

"Is there any way to convince him to let you back in the class?" Hermione shook her head.

"I doubt it. I'm going to just have to study on my own so I can pass my N.E.W.T. without taking the class." Harry sighed and rubbed her arm.

"If anyone can do it, you can, 'Mi. I believe in you." She smiled into his chest, but didn't say anything else.

The pair laid there in silence for almost an hour. Hermione was barely awake when she felt Harry slide out from underneath her and steal back out of her room. She smiled to herself at her friend's antics before she finally let sleep pull her under.

-O-

Severus sat back in his armchair in front of the fire in his private quarters. He had a glass of firewhiskey in his hand, but was swirling it around in thought rather than drinking it.

Granger had caught him off guard tonight. He regretted how short he had been with her, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. He probably wouldn't have shattered her academic dreams if it hadn't been for the filthy dog doing everything he could to make Severus lose control in the Order meeting.

He was well aware that nobody trusted him. Severus really didn't blame them for not trusting him, Merlin, he wouldn't trust him if he were in their shoes. The fact that they all so openly mistrusted him was tiring though.

When Granger had told him that she was unsure of her paternity, his thoughts had instantly gone to HER. The light of his life, the reason he continued to serve both his masters. Could it be possible that Granger was his daughter?

He just couldn't see it. She didn't appear to have a Slytherin bone in her body, but he could also admit that he didn't really know her very well. Her intelligence was unmatched and he could see the same fire deep in her eyes that he still possessed. She would go to the ends of the earth for those she loves. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he felt the same way.

Severus had started the potion as soon as he had returned to the Hogwarts. His curiosity had been piqued, and while he had started the beginning stages of the potion, he had fantasized about what it would be like if Granger really was his flesh and blood. Would she ever forgive him for his perfectly horrid treatment of her? He really didn't know her well enough to say.

The Slytherin had stopped after just a few minutes of daydreaming. It wouldn't do to get his hopes up and then find out that Granger was indeed a Granger.

With a deep sigh, he threw back the last of his firewhiskey, stood, and decided that sleep was for the best. He cast one last glance at the open file on his ottoman and he could have sworn that Hermione Granger's photo was grinning just at him.

A/N- Boom! Another one bites the dust! Hope you all enjoyed (((: Thanks for being bomb ass readers! Just a side note...I'm not comfortable writing slash smut, so this is probably the most explicit it will get between Ginny and Luna since they really aren't huge characters in this story. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what ya thought.

Next chapter, our favorite characters return to Hogwarts and more Draco time.

Love,

Alicia


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- You guys are seriously the best ever. Thank you for your continued support and for reviewing as much as you do. It makes me smile! This is just kind of a filler chapter to kind of develop the relationship between Hermione and Draco just a little so it probably won't be near as long as the chapters have been thus far. This being said, I'm going to quit yakking and get to writing!

Disclaimer: Nope, none of this story belongs to me. In my wettest dreams, I own Harry Potter and Co. and am basking in a life of luxury. Too bad reality sucks.

Chapter 7

September 2, 1995

They were back at Hogwarts. Hermione was thrilled to be back at school, surrounded by the ever familiar scent and sight of what she considered to be her home away from home.

Hermione was sure that the others weren't near as excited to be back as she was, but she didn't let that dampen her excitement. Hogwarts was where she was learning to harness her powers as a witch and she reveled in it. She knew that nobody understood why learning was so exciting for her, not even Harry, but it didn't matter. She didn't begrudge them quidditch and she wouldn't let them begrudge her learning.

It had been surprising to find just how sad she was to be leaving Grimmauld Place, however. Maybe not the house, per se, but definetely the people that resided there. Remus and Sirius would continue to live there while they were in school, but the Weasleys would be returning to the Burrow. When that had been announced, she had wondered to herself just why the Weasleys had been at Headquarters all summer to begin with.

As per usual, Hermione had been up at dawn making sure that everything she needed for the upcoming year was packed safely away in her trunk. She had attended breakfast early so she could kick Harry and Ron in the arse and get them moving when she was finished. When she had announced her plan while leaving the table, Molly had flashed her a grateful smile.

The two boys (well, young men may have been a more appropriate term) had still been asleep in their beds when she had arrived. She had tried nicely to wake them, but they had grumbled into their pillows and went back to sleep. In no mood to deal with their shite, she went to the bathroom and filled two glasses with water. When she had dumped them on their heads, they had come up sputtering and cursing, but very much awake.

Professor Moody, Kingsley, Tonks, and Molly were to escort all six children to King's Cross and see them safely on board the Hogwart's Express. That meant that they had to say their farewells to Remus and Sirius before they left Grimmauld Place. Hermione knew that she was going to miss them immensely.

Remus had held her close in a fatherly hug, wishing her well for the upcoming year at school. She had shed just a tear or two into his shabby robes before pulling herself together and kissing his cheek in farewell. Sirius, on the other hand, had swept her up in a hug and held her close, promising that there would always be a place for "his poppet" at Grimmauld Place so she didn't need to worry about having nowhere to return to for the holidays. She had kissed his cheek just as she had Remus', but he had boasted and gloated to Remus that she had loved him more.

The drop off at the Express hadn't been anything too special. Moody had ordered them to be on constant look out for danger, that they couldn't trust anyone that wasn't in the Order. Tonks and Kingsley had wished them well and had promised to see them all at Christmas. Molly had been the one telling them all that she loved them, telling them to do well in their classes, and kissing them all goodbye. In the end, it was much more fanfare than Hermione preferred.

The train ride to Hogwarts had been uneventful. She had kept her eye open for Draco, for she simply couldn't call him Malfoy in the privacy of her own mind. She had caught a quick glimpse of him during the prefect meeting that the Head Boy and Head Girl had had on the train. Pansy had been next to him, simmering and doing her best to catch his attention, but Draco had seemed resolutely determined to ignore her.

Hermione was so confused as to why this made her happy on the inside. Sure, she had a crush on Draco because he was handsome and very intelligent, but she knew without a doubt that the very sight of her sickened him because of her dirty blood. She knew there was no chance whatsoever for anything between them so she didn't understand why she had felt so betrayed when she had seen him at Diagon Alley with his arms around Pansy. He was his own person and he was allowed to keep company with whomever he so chose.

They hadn't spoke to each other, but her heart had fluttered just a little when he had smirked her way. Hermione didn't understand how she could be so immensely attracted to Draco, but be completely in love with Harry. It seemed so wrong when she thought about it, but she couldn't convince herself that it didn't feel right at the same time. Therefore, she did her best to put it all out of her mind since she knew that once they reached Hogwarts it would be back to hating Potter's mudblood as per usual.

Hermione and Ron had both patrolled the train during their slotted time and then returned to Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville in their compartment. Hermione had thought that she would have a tough time looking Ginny and Luna in the eye without picturing them against that bookshelf, but she was surprised to find that it didn't bother her. Ron, she was sure, would have a different opinion, but that wasn't her problem.

Their arrival at Hogwarts had been uneventful. She and Ron had helped herd the new first years towards the boats with Hagrid before catching a carriage with some sixth year prefects from Hufflepuff. Ron had started a conversation with the older boy about quidditch and Hermione didn't speak a single word the whole ride.

The Welcome Feast had been magnicificent. There had been more food than Hermione had remembered seeing any of the years past, but she wasn't sure if that was the truth or just in her imagination. Gryffindor had gained eleven new students, mostly boys, but Hermione and the rest of her House had clapped loudly for them.

The evening had turned sour when Professor Dumbledore had stood and introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a one Dolores Umbridge. The woman was dressed completely in baby pink and with all the ruffles and lace to top it off. To be completely honest, she resembled a large toad. It was immature of her at best, but she kind of hoped that the older woman croaked when she had stood up to make her speech.

The rest of Gryffindor had gotten a cloudy expression on their faces when she was just thirty seconds into her speech. It was clear that they had quit paying attention mere seconds after she had began speaking. While Hermione couldn't blame them for the fact that the toady woman was indeed speaking in circles, she knew that they had just missed an important lesson. The Ministry was watching and listening to what was happening within the walls of Hogwarts.

Once Hermione and her friends had made their way back to their common room, she had informed them just what Umbridge had said in her opening speech. She didn't think that Professor Dumbledore had looked very happy with having the pink woman as a professor there, but Hermione figured that his hands were tied. Hogwarts still had to answer to the Ministry of Magic.

Hermione was now seated at the Gryffindor table reviewing the timetable that Professor McGonagall had just handed out. Her schedule was pretty full, no big surprise there. Harry leaned over to view her schedule to see just closely matched it was with his.

Monday- Charms, free period, double Arithmancy

Tuesday- Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration

Wednesday- Defense Against The Dark Arts, free period, Potions, Astrology

Thursday- Herbology, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts

Friday- Transfiguration, free period, double Ancient Runes

All in all it was a great schedule if you asked Hermione. Most of her core classes were paired with the Slytherins which usually meant there would be drama in every class, but she had vowed to rise above that this year. She hoped that she would be able to help Harry and Ron rise above it as well. To be honest, however, she really wasn't holding her breath.

Hermione ate her breakfast quickly, her Potions book propped up against a jug of pumpkin juice as she tried to read and eat at the same time. Even though she knew she was going to have to drop Potions at the end of the year, she was still determined to do her absolute best in the class this year. She knew it was foolish, but she couldn't put away the idea that maybe if she did well enough in class this year, didn't raise her hand or answer any questions, Professor Snape would allow her to continue with classes after her O.W.L. testing. It was a pipe dream, but her dream nonetheless.

Somehow, she had managed to get lost in thought about continuing potions class. She was brought back to the here and now when Harry nudged her arm with his elbow.

"You finished?" She shoved her plate away and nodded. She had been done for awhile if she was being honest. The pair stood together and eyed Ron who was still shoveling food in his mouth at an alarming rate. When he seemed oblivious to their gaze, Hermione finally spoke.

"Merlin, Ron, you've ate more than three times the amount you needed. Are you ready to go to class? If not, I'm going without you." Ron looked up at them and gave her a bewildered look, almost as if he didn't understand why she would speak to him like that. To be truthful, she wasn't surprised. Molly coddled Ron most of all and gave him just about whatever he wanted. Being called out on his piggish ways was probably never in his scope of reality.

Ron stood from his meal after wiping his mouth on his sleeve, a habit that Hermione found completely deplorable. While her parents weren't what she cosidered to be snobs, she had been raised to recognize and utilize a certain level of etiquette. The Weasleys were nowhere near that level and sometimes their manners turned her stomach.

The trio made their way out of the Great Hall together, both boys on either side of Hermione. She wasn't sure if they were doing it on purpose, but it seemed like they were flanking her on purpose.

Potions was their first lesson of the day, with Slytherins no less, so Hermione mentally prepared herself for being ignored and ridiculed. Professor Snape always managed to ignore her while his Slytherins managed to make her life a living hell for no other reason than the fact that she was a mudblood.

The trio entered the classroom and took their customary seats at the back of the room. The table sat three and both boys once again placed her in the middle of them. She wasn't sure if they were doing this on purpose, but she was going to have to discuss it with them regardless. She wasn't some helpless beauty queen that needed constant protecting.

The rest of the class filed in and Hermione was happy to see that they had beat Professor Snape by almost ten he finally entered the room, his robes billowed out behind him. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he did the billowing thing on purpose to make a statement. When he turned and faced the class, the room went completely silent in anticipation of his lesson.

"Today we will be learning about the Draught of Peace. You should have all read the chapter by now, if you haven't, you will fail miserably. You will be working in pairs for this potion. See the board for your assigned partners."

Hermione glanced up at the board to see that she was partnered with Draco. While this would have pleased her if he had been acting decently to her, when he was sure to be a wanker, she wasn't too excited. Harry was paired with Pansy while Ron was paired with Theo Nott.

Knowing that Draco wouldn't deign to move, Hermione reluctantly gathered her things so she could move to sit at the table Draco was located at. When she turned up at his side, he was physically shoving Pansy out of the seat next to him so she could take a seat. Pansy sneered at her and bent to kiss Draco on the cheek. He sneered at her, but it didn't seem to matter to Hermione.

"Hang in there, Drakey. It's only for an hour. You can survive the mudblood for that long." Hermione remained impassive at the pureblood girl's words. The last thing she wanted to do was fight on the first day of classes. After she had taken Pansy's seat, she began to sort her book in front of her and draw up a mental list so she could go gather the ingredients needed for the potion. Draco laid a hand on her shoulder, surprising her.

"I'll go get the ingredients. You get the cauldron ready." She didn't respond, but nodded, a look of suspicion still on her just smlied at her and moved to the student cupboard to get what they needed to brew.

When he returned, they both prepared ingredients for a good half hour. Once they were finished, they began their potion, Hermione in charge of the stirring and Draco in charge of adding the ingredients. Almost an hour had passed before someone broke the silence. Hermione had been surprised that it was Draco.

"Pansy and I aren't together, you know." While her heart leapt in joy at his statement, she knew that she couldn't show any weakness.

"Not that I care about your personal life, but why would it bother me if you were with Parkinson?" Hermione had overplayed her hand on the Alley because when he spoke next, his words were one hundred percent correct.

"It bothers you. I could see it that day at Diagon Alley. I'm not sure why, but I could see that my arm around her rated as some sort of betrayal. Is there anything you want to confess, little lion?" Knowing she couldn't dare give him the power over her that he was so close to achieving, she shook her head.

"No, no confession. I just couldn't understand why someone like you would settle for a girl that looked and acted like Parkinson." Hermione felt immensely guilty for her words. She hadn't been raised to talk badly about anyone, let alone other girls that were as desperate as she sometimes felt. Draco chuckled and brushed a wisp of hair back behind her shoulder.

"Whatever you have to tell yourself, Granger." She was acutely aware of the fact that he was certain she was lying. Which she was so she didn't feel like she had a right to get angry with him and react. She was simply unsure as to why he cared about her feelings to begin with.

Hermione and Dracon were the first to successfully brew their potion. Ron and Theo were next to finish even though Hermione knew for a fact that Theo was the only reason that they had finished. Harry and Pansy were one of the last pairs to finish and by the sickly look of their potion, she wouldn't be surprised if they had failed. This being noted, she could admit that she had been paired with someone that was fairly intelligent.

Draco gathered her bag in his hands and handed it off to her.

"I won't see you next class, but there is always Transfiguration to look forward to. Did you get that book on human transifiguration?" Hermione just couldn't help herself. Nobody ever asked her about the books she bought, they just simply assumed that she liked them and left it at that. She answered.

"I did. It was very enlightening. I really want to practice human Transfiguration now, but there just isn't room for it in our curriculum. I should have known better than to tempt myself." Draco grinned at her. Not a smirk or a half smile, but an actual grin.

"If you tutor me in Transfiguration, I'll do all the practice you want. You can change me to whatever you heart desires." Hermione knew this was a deal that would only come once in a lifetime. Even Harry and Ron wouldn't consent to being turned into other objects and beings so they could become better at the subject in which they struggled. Hermione waited a second before taking his hand in hers to shake it.

"You've got a deal, Malfoy." He gave her a smile.

"Shall we set up our first lesson?" Hermione wasn't sure if she could trust the snake, but she was willing to give him a chance if only for the sake of her education.

"How about Friday the 6th?" Hermione gave him a tentative grin before responding.

"That's great. The library?" He gave a nod and started to gather his things so they could part ways and go to their classes. Just as she was about to leave the potion's classroom, Professor Snape spoke her name.

"Miss Granger, I need a word with you after class." The whole class seemed to wonder just what it was that she had done to piss off their potion"s professor so early in the year. She gave him a solemn nod.

"Yes, sir." Sensing that there was going to be punishments handed out, the rest of the class bailed as quickly as they could. Hermione couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

Once the classroom was empty save for herself and Professor Snape, she gathered her things and went to stand in front of her professor's desk. She waited several minutes for him to finish what he was working on so he would acknowledge her. Finally, he laid down his quill and folded his hands under his chin.

"Your potion will be ready in three days time. You will come to me after dinner on the evening of the fifth for the last steps. I trust you know what they are?" Hermione nodded.

"I need to add my own blood to the potion." He gave her a curt nod.

"You're aware that it takes quite a bit of blood, correct? You will be lightheaded after you get your answers." She nodded again, doing her best to remain respectful.

"Yes, sir, I understand." Professor Snape looked as if he wanted to say more, but Hermione didn't open the conversation any further than what it was. The older Slytherin had made quite clear how he felt for her and she would be damned if she gave him yet another reason to hate and denigrate her.

"You may go." She nodded for the last time and walked out the classroom door.

Hermione left the Potion's corridor with Harry wrapped around her. She assumed that Ron would get jealous and butt-hurt, but he didn't seem to notice that there were other people that seemed to be interested in her. She had noticed at least three Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw boys that couldn't stop staring at her. She assumed that their reasons for being interested were just as pure as the reasons Ron had stated to Harry, so she had ignored them and acted like she didn't see a thing.

When Ron finally noticed that she was the focus of other men's attentions, he turned nasty. He had lashed out at a third year Ravenclaw for "shopping above his station", causing Hermione to blow up at him and tell him to stuff it up his arse.

Herbology had been passed in much the same way that Potions had. They were to study healing plants and Hermione had been paired with Terry Boot. While the man had acted completely civilized, she had been surprised to find that after class he was reneging on being her partner. Knowing this was the work of Ronald, she spun on her friend at the very end of class and pointed a wand in his face.

"You don't get to scare away my class partners. You don't get the right to interfere with anything that could come between me and my educational goals." He looked like he was bewildered and confused all in one so Hermione left him there on his own. While Harry tried to be a good friend and wait for Ron to get his shite together and head to lunch, she left without them.

The Gryffindor table in the Great Hall was already full of younger children. When Harry and Ron sat down, she had been quick to offer them a glare. She was livid that Ron was scaring away her class partners because he was jealous.

Once Hermione had ate her fill, she had allowed Harry and Ron to pull her to her feet so they could escort her to Transfiguration. Ron was extremely attentive and Hermione was scared that this new behavior meant that he was going to ask her out again. She could only hope that she was able to keep him at bay for just a little while longer. The drama of turning Ronald down was more than she wanted to deal with presently.

Hermione found herself seated in between her best friends at the front of the room. She always sat front and center for this class as it was her absolute favorite. Ron and Harry grumbled about it, but in the end sat with her and kept quiet.

Professor McGonagall opened the class by announcing that they would be starting with switching spells. Hermione had already mastered the spells at the end of her third year so she wasn't worried about disappointing her favorite professor. Both boys looked disappointed when Professor McGonagall announced that they would be split up into partners and it would be with someone from the opposite house.

Hermione once again found herself paired with Draco. Harry was with Crabbe, Ron with Daphne, and she felt bad for them. None of the students seemed to have any idea what they were doing. This time, Draco moved so he could come sit with her at her table. When he had quietly taken the seat next to her, she had been surprised beyond measure.

They had taken notes together on Professor McGonagall's lecture. While Hermione hadn't expected it to be nice, it really was. Once the lecture was finished, the pair moved off to their own corner of the room and began the practical part of the lesson.

Since Hermione knew she didn't need the practice, she focused most of her attention on helping Draco cast the spell correctly. It took most of the class period, so when he finally got it right, he grinned at her. She took her seat after he cast the spell correctly, only for him to shoot her a confused look.

"Don't you need to practice the spell?" She shook her head as she started to read ahead in her text book.

"I mastered switching spells at the end of third year. Figured you would get more out of practising than I would." Draco seemed dumbfounded at her words, but he remained silent for which she was immensely grateful for. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to be made fun of by her childhood enemy.

Class ended shortly there after and Hermione gave Draco a small smile before she headed out into the corridor with Harry and Ron. Both were grumbling about how they hadn't managed to master the spell in class which meant that they had simply rolled her eyes when they began complaining that Malfoy had gotten use of her expertise instead of them.

Hermione coolly reminded Ron that the pair of them had a prefect meeting in one of the Charm's classrooms. She didn't really expect it to be a long drawn out meeting since they had already discussed what they were able to do as prefects and what punishments they could hand out. This was basically a meeting to hand out the schedule for patrolling.

Twenty-four prefects and the Head students crammed into the extra Charms classroom just long enough for them to pick up their copy of the patrolling schedule. Hermione quickly scanned her schedule and noticed that she was scheduled to patrol right after her meeting with Professor Snape on the fifth. She didn't forsee this being a problem so she remained quiet. She would probably have to reschedule with Draco, however.

The pair of them made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione took the seat next to Harry and she smiled his way when he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Dinner passed quietly, nothing of great importance happening. After an hour, Hermione watched Ginny and Luna disappear together.

The trio made their way back to the common room, Harry and Ron both intent on playing a game of chess. Although Hermione didn't have any homework to complete yet, she wanted to reread her Potion's chapter so she would be ready for their next class.

Several hours passed before Hermione finally yawned and set her book aside. The boys were still locked in their third game of the night so she just smiled and gathered her things. Both boys turned to watch her until she caught them staring. With half a smile, she leaned down and kissed Harry's cheek. She whispered softly in his ear so Ron wouldn't hear her.

"I get the results in three days time." As she pulled away, she spoke normally.

"Goodnight, Harry." He bade her goodnight as she moved to repeat the action with Ron. The redhead reached out and grabbed her arm so he could hold her in place. She was surprised when he pressed a kiss to her cheek as well.

"Goodnight, Mione." She knew she was blushing so she scuttled up the stairs to her own dormitory.

Neither Lavender nor Parvati had made it up to their room yet so Hermione was free to change at her bedside. She threw on a pair of shorts and one of Harry's old quidditch jerseys. Without further ado, she climbed into her bed and pulled the duvet up over her shoulders. With a yawn, she let go of her stressful day and sleep pulled her under.

-O-

Severus sat at his desk in his quarters grading the pop quizzes that he had sprung on his third years. None of the students in any of the years really stood out to him. None except Granger and Draco. They had always competed for top spot in his class and they were truly a prodigy when they worked together.

He had paired them together on a whim today to see if they could get along long enough to create a superb potion. To his absolute delight, their potion had been perfect. It appeared that they had tweaked the shrivelfig just a little bit to get better results, just as he would have. Now he truly was regretting telling Granger she had to drop his class next year.

Knowing Hermione Granger, however, he knew she wouldn't let his class go by the wayside. She was simply too insufferable for that. While she may not take his class, he knew she would be studying on her own and would probably lobby for Minerva to let her test out on her N.E.W.T. anyways. Maybe he could drop to Minerva what had occurred between the two of them so she could righteously object, threatening to go Albus unless he let her favorite cub in his class. Granger would get to continue her studies and he would save face.

Severus was just as anxious about this potion as Granger was. He could tell that the girl was on edge about it and he didn't blame her. The information he would be handing her could possibly change her life forever. He set the quizzes aside and rubbed a hand down his face.

Just three more days.

A/N- Hope you all enjoyed it! I feel like this chapter isn't my best work, but I guess we all have off days! Thanks for reading! Leave me your thoughts, they make me smile!

Next up, Hermione gets her results, Ron loses his shit, and Draco shows his hand.

Love,

Alicia


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- You all have been so amazing. The overwhelming show of support is just awesome, I can't thank you all everyone who has followed, favorited, read, or reviewed, you're my heros. Congrats to BoredRavenclaw620 on being the 100th reviewer! Onward we travel, dear friends...

Trigger Warning: Assault and attempted sexual assault. Nothing too terribly graphic.

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me except for the aforementioned characters in previous chapters. I haven't made a single knut off any of my stories. My bank account tells no lies.

Chapter 8

September 5, 1995

Hermione was nervous. She knew that she should be able to compartmentalize her feelings, her emotions shouldn't be quite so obvious, but she couldn't help it.

The young Gryffindor had snapped at both Harry and Ron at breakfast over them asking her for help on one of their homework questions. Harry had squeezed her hand reassuringly under the table, letting her know that he understood in his silent, steady way, but Ron had gotten angry at her and blown up. He had stalked out of the Great Hall, scowl on his face, and Hermione felt like crying.

She had been actively avoiding Ron for two days now, ever since he had tried to pin her against one of the shelves in the library so he could "take their passion to a new level". He hadn't succeeded since Madam Pince had turned the corner at most opportune time and ordered them to leave her silent sanctuary. While Hermione had been extremely angry that she had been kicked out of the library for the first time ever, she had been grateful that the librarian didn't stand for such things as Ron was trying to accomplish.

This, however, didn't mean that she wanted to be fighting with Ron today. She had too much on her plate that day and the last thing that she needed or wanted was Ronald being snide or rude to her. That, however, had gone right out the window because she had apparently offended his delicate sensibilities when she had told him to stop being a complete waste of space and do his own fucking homework.

Ginny and Neville chuckled into their hands at her words. Harry, though the words had been aimed at him also, had leaned over and kissed the side of her head before soldiering on without her assistance. The rest of Gryffindor had cottoned on rather quickly that they should tread carefully around Hermione that day.

Harry reached down and squeezed her hand again as they made their way through the corridors to Transfiguration. Ron still hadn't resurfaced from his tantrum in the Great Hall so she assumed that he would meet them there. He wouldn't dare skip class now that he was a prefect.

Just as she figured, Ron was seated in his usual seat at the front of the room when she and Harry arrived. Knowing that she usually sat in the middle of the two boys, she groaned softly to herself. In no way did she want to make the argument between them worse by sitting next to Ron before their tempers had successfully coolled.

Ron said nothing when she sat next to him, something she was immensely grateful for. The trio waited in silence for the rest of their classmates and Professor McGonagall to arrive. The animagus was the last to arrive and she gave the classroom a stern look before starting.

"I was so impressed with the pairs last time that your partners from last time will become your permanent partners for the rest of the year. Please move accordingly." Hermione brightened slightly. She had actually enjoyed working with Draco during their last class so the fact that they were now permanent partners could prove to be a pleasant experience all the way around.

To her surprise, Draco once again moved to sit next to her in the front row. He smirked her way as both Harry and Ron glowered and glared in their direction from their seats next to Goyle and Daphne. Both lion and snake took diligent notes once more on the animal to animal transfiguration that she said they would be covering for the next couple of months or so.

Truthfully, Hermione had transfigured so many animals into other animals that she wasn't worried in the slightest about their lessons. Obviously she had never tried to transfigure an elephant or anything it's equal, but anything short of a horse she was confident in.

Hermione and Draco both performed the spell correctly in the first thirty minutes of class. While she normally would have been proud of herself and her partner, Hermione went silent and began reading the chapter for Ancient Runes over again. Draco seemed perplexed at her actions and leaned over into her personal space.

"Are we still on for tonight, Granger?" She had completely forgotten that they had made plans to meet and practice their Transfiguration skills on each other. She sighed and raked her hand through her wild curls.

"I'm so sorry, Draco. I have to meet with Professor Snape after dinner and then I have rounds with Ron after that. I don't think there's enough time in the night for me to meet you as well." Draco didn't seem upset in the slightest at her words.

"Understandable. When do you want to meet then?" She chewed her bottom lip as she pondered his question.

"How about Monday night, right after dinner?" Draco nodded his agreement before he reached out and pulled her hand from her hair. His elegant, fine-boned hand smoothed her hair back down to where it was semi-controlled.

"No need to get upset about not making it. It'll be alright." She felt her cheeks color slightly.

"Sorry. I'm just distracted today. Too many things going on in my personal life." Draco's eyes hardened and he pulled his hand away from her hair. When he spoke, his voice was hard.

"What? Can't decide who to choose, Potty or the Weasel?" Hermione didn't understand the incredibly fast change in personality. She tried to make sense of it as she stammered out a response.

"No, it has nothing to do with them, Professor Snape is going..." She trailed off for just a moment before her voice turned haughty and cold. Who was he to question her about her life? He had been a complete prat and wanker to her up until their moment in Flourish and Blotts.

"It's none of your fucking business, Malfoy. My life is my own just as yours belongs to you." She didn't wait for an answer before she turned back to her text book. Silence reigned for several minutes before Draco broke it.

"I'm sorry, Granger, I shouldn't have been so hateful. It just makes me sick that you've been mooning over the Weasel. He doesn't deserve you and he never will." Hermione sighed a and buried her face in her hands.

"I don't moon over him, not anymore. I've been avoiding him because I know he's going to ask me out again and I know I'll have to be honest this time. Last time, I fobbed him off with some half-arsed excuse that I couldn't deal with a relationship because of my parents. I can't take the easy road again, what kind of lion would I be?" Draco chuckled, obviously in a much better mood.

"You'll make due, Granger. You don't back down from anything." She gave him a grateful smile before turning back to her book. The rest of the class passed in silence and Hermione was grateful. She hoped against hope that Draco would keep her confession to himself. The last thing she wanted was for Ron to hear the truth from a Slytherin.

When Professor McGonagall dismissed their class, Hermione parted ways with Harry and Ron so she could try to distract herself with homework in the library. Madam Pince glared in her direction, but remained silent since she was alone.

Hermione worked for the whole hour and a half on her arithmancy homework. While she was already three assignements ahead of schedule, she didn't want to become complacent and fall behind. This was her O.W.L. year, after all. To fall behind would be most irresponsible of her.

When the bell rang overhead to dismiss classes to lunch, Hermione gathered her books and parchment so she could head to the Great Hall for lunch. She did her best to focus on everything except her meeting with Professor Snape that evening. She took her usual seat next to Harry and he threw a reassuring arm around her shoulders. She knew that he was just trying to be her moral support, trying to keep her calm, but it really didn't seem to be doing much for her.

Lunch passed quickly and Ron was still giving her the silent treatment. Truthfully, she didn't mind all that much since it kept them from fighting further. Once they were finished eating, Hermione gathered her bag up over her shoulder and started off on her own to go to her double Ancient Runes class.

Hermione knew that while she thoroughly enjoyed Ancient Runes, it wasn't her passion. Only Transfiguration held that title. Draco accompanied her in her double class, but they were seated on opposite ends of the classroom. He was seated with Daphne and Blaise while she, as the only Gryffindor, took a seat next to Terry Boot and Ernie McMillan.

Hermione did her classwork flawlessly and made sure that she filed her notes away perfectly. Once they were dismissed, Hermione gathered her things and placed them carefully into her bag. She heaved a deep breath as she concentrated on getting through the upcoming meal.

When she reached the Great Hall, Hermione took her customary seat between Harry and Ginny. Even though Ginny had absolutely no idea what was happening in her world in just an hour, she still did her best to play mediator between Ron and herself. Even though Ginny was Ron's sister first, Hermione could appreciate the level of loyalty that went into her actively taking Hermione's side.

The dishes all disappeared from the Gryffindor table leaving Hermione with nothing to do and nowhere to go except to the potion's classroom to see Professor Snape. While excited and nervous to get the results of the paternity potion, Hermione dragged her feet because she was scared of the results. What if Jake and Miranda Granger weren't her parents after all? Would she be able to handle the truth?

Harry squeezed her hand in a reassuring way. She appreciated that her very best friend was doing his level best to reassure her that he was there for her regardless of the results. Hermione smiled his way and held her bag out to him.

"I have to go meet Professor Snape. Will you take my bag to the common room? I'll take it up to the dormitory once I get there." Harry leaned over and kissed her cheek so close to her mouth that she couldn't help but wonder if she had been mistaken that it was her cheek.

Ron continued to glare in her direction as she started to leave. She just couldn't make herself care at the moment. Without a second glance to the rest of the Great Hall, Hermione headed out the doors and took the stairs to the dungeons. She was grateful that she didn't meet anyone on the way to her dreaded potions professor's classroom.

Hermione paused outside his door for a few moments to gather her wits. She was nervous about what she was to learn, but she didn't want to show weakness. Therefore, she readied herself for the ridicule she was bound to face when the results were read no matter what they were.

When she knocked on the door in front of her, Hermione waited patiently until she was beckoned forth to enter. It was only Professor Snape in attendance so she was a little surprised that he didn't have additional people there to mock her. She wasn't entering into this with her eyes shut. No matter what the results were, she would be mocked.

Professor Snape beckoned her forward to come join him in front of the boiling cauldron on his desk. While she wondered just why exactly he had seen fit to move her potion to it's own pride of place on his desk, she reminded herself that her professor was doing it so he could rid himself of her in potion's class. Of course he would move that to his desk. He sneered in her direction, but for some reason, it didn't seem like he was really all that into it.

"Please take a seat in front of my desk, Miss Granger. It wouldn't do to have you passing out while I drain your blood for the potion." She nodded faintly, slightly nervous about the blood draining he spoke of. Her professor produced a small knife, no longer than a swiss army knife, and gestured for her to give him her wrist.

Only a tiny bit apprehensive, Hermione offered him her wrist, vulnerable side up. Professor Snape raised a questioning eyebrow her way, making certain that this was the way she was sure she wanted to go. When she gave a definitive nod, the time for doubts past, Professor Snape made a slicing motion that she wasn't sure even cut her wrist until she felt a slight sting from the bleeding.

The Slytherin whispered a spell over her arm and the blood began to flow faster from her vein. The potion called for right at around half a litre of blood and Hermione had been sure that without the spell, they would have been waiting quite awhile. When her Professor finally sealed the wound on her wrist, leaving behind a four centimeter scar, Hermione could feel that she was lightheaded. She had been sure that she wouldn't be affected by the small blood loss, but apparently that wasn't the case.

Professor Snape gestured for her to sit back and conjured a glass of water for her to drink while he completed the potion. She sipped on the cold liquid, reveling in the way it seemed to wake her up just a little bit. She watched, completely captivated, as he added her blood to the potion and stirred it the allotted amount of times. Professor Snape broke the silence.

"You're sure you want the answers, Miss Granger? Now is the time to turn back if your foolish lion's courage has fled you." She considered fleeing for half a second, but decided against it in just half a second. She gave a resolute nod.

Her professor waved his wand over the potion and muttered the incantation that went alongside it. The steam rolling off the top of the liquid started to form before her eyes. It took several seconds for it to spell out words that she could read, but when it did, her heart stopped. Disbelief clouded her features and bee body went numb.

Severus Snape and Alexandra Nott

Both she and her potions professor stared at the words suspended in the air before them. Neither said a word, probably because they were in equal parts of shock.

Suddenly, Hermione regretted her curiosity and her propensity for discovering the truth. Jake and Miranda Granger had been the most amazing parents; they had accepted her, they had guided and supported her, and above all, they had loved her.

The man that was her biological father couldn't stand the very sight of her. He had bargained with her in terms of this potion and his freedom from her continued presence in his class. He had made very clear his feelings about her.

Hermione had wanted the potion made so she could possibly find her true family so they could be reunited and that they would love her. It was clear that she had been foolish for having a dream such as this. Severus Snape would never love her as Jake Granger had and it broke her heart.

Suddenly, she couldn't handle being there in his presence any longer. Hermione was aware that running from your problems never solved anything, but she was realistic enough to know that she couldn't emotionally handle being there with him in a such a personal moment knowing he hated the very thought of her.

Hermione turned and fled.

The last thing she saw before the door banged open in front of her was her potions professor still staring at the suspended steam above the cauldron and the words formed there.

Hermione didn't care who saw her running through the corridors. She just wanted to be safely ensconced in Gryffindor Tower, she wanted to be curled up in her bed with Harry next to her, his arms around her while he tried to calm her down and comfort her. She wanted nothing more than to forget this disaster of an evening had even happened.

This had been her plan until she had ran straight into Ron on the sixth floor. He fell into a suit of armour, barely catching it in time to keep it from falling, while she fell to the hard stone floor. She sat there and wondered just what in the blue fuck she was going to tell Ron. He righted himself and held his hand out for her so he could help her up. She grasped it and he smiled.

"I didn't realize you were so excited to do rounds with me, Mione. You didn't have to plough into me."

Double fuck! She had completely forgotten that she had rounds with Ron while she was having her mini mental breakdown. She just wanted to say fuck it and go hide in her dormitory, but she didn't trust Ron to keep his mouth shut about her skiving off. Therefore, she heaved a deep breath and started to work on centering herself so she could get through the next two hours.

Ron actually took charge of their rounds and decided to start where they were on the sixth floor. It would have made more sense for them to start in the dungeons and work their way up, but she didn't want to take the chance of seeing Professsor Snape again before she had properly freaked out about the fact that he was her father.

Hermione did the bare minimum needed to get through rounds. She didn't to out of her way to find people sneaking around near curfew time, but if she caught them outright then she took points. Truthfully, she and Ron didn't encounter many people.

The only person that really stuck out in her mind was Pansy Parkinson wandering the halls on the third floor. If she had actually cared more, Hermione would have attempted to discover just what she was doing, but the truth was that she just didn't care. She had taken points while Pansy called her a useless mudblood and they had went on their way.

Hermione couldn't help but to chuckle to herself when she considered Pansy's words. She wasn't a mudblood any longer. It was well known that Professor Snape was a half blood and if the potion was to be believed, Alexandra Nott was her mother, a pureblood princess if she had ever heard of one.

Hermione stopped suddenly, swaying on her feet slightly from the dizziness still present from her donation of blood. If Alexandra Nott was her mother, that meant that she was dead. It was no secret to anyone in the school that Theo Nott hadn't had a mother since the day he was born. For some unexplicable reason, this saddened her. While she was sure that her mother would have hated her for her blood line, she would have liked the right to confirm that for herself. Instead, she would never find out how her mother had felt about her.

Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't realize that Ron had led them into one of the empty classrooms down the transfiguration corridor. He locked the door behind them and it was the telltale click of the lock falling into place that drew her back to reality.

This was it. Ron was going to ask her out again and she was going to have to be honest. Why couldn't he have picked any other day? She watched him rake his hands through his hair before he turned nervous eyes her way.

"Listen, Mione, I know you've had a lot going on in the last month or so. I know you've had some major life changes. I told you I would give you space so you could learn to deal with it, and I feel I have. Therefore, I'm asking you again. Will you be my girlfriend?" Hermione groaned on the inside. This was the last thing she wanted to be dealing with right now. Gathering the inner strength that she knew made her a Gryffindor, she spoke.

"Listen, Ron." His eyes hardened, but she continued on anyways.

"I haven't liked you in that way for awhile now. Not since third year. I'm sorry that you didn't realize that, but I wouldn't feel right agreeing to date you when I feel for you as I would a brother." Her redheaded friend was silent for almost a minute. When he did speak, his voice was full of disdain.

"You realize this is a chance of a lifetime for you, right? Nobody else is going to want to be with you. You're not very pretty and you scare blokes away with your smart talk. You should see the favor I'm doing you."

Hermione couldn't believe what Ron was saying. Sure, she knew she was far from the prettiest girl at Hogwarts, but he was supposed to be her friend. He wasn't supposed to insult her just for the sake of hurting her. Therefore, she raised her chin, squared her shoulders and did her best to act as if his words didn't affect her.

"I wouldn't call it the chance of a lifetime. If there aren't any other boys that want to date me, I'll just have more time to focus on my studies. I'll find someone after school. I tried to be nice and tell you that I didn't feel for you like that, but you have to act like a child. That's no favor to me." Ron sneered at her.

"I can't believe you tossed me over. Who was it? Harry? Fuck, I bet you even want Malfoy." Hermione froze. Was she that transparent? Was her attraction to both men clear to even Ron, the most emotionally repressed individual she knew? As soon as she didn't reply, Ron exploded.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! You want both of them? You're such a whore, Hermione!" He inhaled sharply before he continued.

"Harry won't ever want you, Hermione. He's the Chosen One and he needs someone that fits the station, not a girl that's only passably pretty and loves to make him feel stupid. Malfoy, well, that just makes me sick. He won't touch you with his friend's dick because you're just a filthy mudblood to him." Hermione did her best to not react to his words, but she couldn't help it. His words cut deep because she knew they were true.

Quicker than a snitch, Ron's hand snaked out and slapped her. Her vision went spotty as she tried to remain on her feet. The dizziness left over from her blood loss made it quite difficult. After just a moment, she felt her wand be wrenched from her inner robe pocket and she heard it clatter on the floor across the room. Ron was suddenly in her face and she could see that he wasn't the same sweet boy that she had been friends with the last five years. His breath was hot and smelled of sausage, turning her stomach.

"You think you can humiliate me, Hermione? That's not going to happen. I'm going to show you exactly what happens when you choose my best friend and Malfoy over me. Once I've taught you your lesson, I'm going to obliviate you. I'll have the convenient story that you got seperated from me during rounds and I found you bloody, bruised, and naked. You won't know any different. It's going to be beautiful."

His hand fisted in her hair and dragged her to her full height, as inconsiderable as it was. Once she somewhat had her balance, Ron pointed his wand at her and cast a slicing hex at her clothing. The hex didn't just cut her clothing, also slicing through the soft, tanned skin of her chest, belly, and legs. Rivulets of blood were trailing their way to floor.

She did her absolute best to bring her clothing back together so she could hide her nudity, but it just wasn't possible. His spellwork had been sloppy, as it usually was, and it had left her clothing as little more than rags.

A punch landed in the softness of her belly, doubling her over and forcing her to vomit from the very force of it. Hermione did her very best to catch her breath so she could fight back, but it was extremely difficult. Her friend's fist came out of nowhere once more, exploding her nose. More blood rained down into her mouth and spilled down over chin. She was struggling to not choke on the unexpected fluid in her mouth.

Her eyes darted around the room and landed on the sight of her wand laying a good twenty feet away from her. Despite the pain and the blood, she leapt across the stone floor, the dirt from the floor mixing in her spilled blood to make a sort of paste that ground itself into her tender skin as she slid.

Ron seemed to understand instantly what she was after so he threw himself on top of her. Once he was straddled over her hips, he forced her to roll onto her back. He bent his head, Hermione didn't understand at first, and caught her senstitive nipple in his teeth. His bite made her cry out in pain. He chuckled into her bare breasts.

"You could have had all this, Hermione, and I would have made sure that you enjoyed it. It wouldn't have hurt at all. Now you have to learn your lesson and your proper place." His fist came down on her face again, the force of it tearing something in her neck.

It was when she felt him cram his fingers inside her, his sharp nails scratching her raw as he pumped in and out of her, that she finally got a reprieve. Her magic, by no direction from her, hurtled him off of her and into one of the stone walls. He groaned, but didn't pass out. Very slowly, he crawled to his feet again.

Hermione could feel her magic alive inside her now and it was rippling through her. She could feel it in the tips of her toes and the ends of her hair. Ron finally cast a look in her direction, she was still on the ground, and started.

"Hermione? What the fuck happened to you?" She had no clue what he was talking about so rather than answering, she did her best to stand again. Blood was slowly trickling it's way down her legs now and she could only hope it was from the scratches he had left rather than from his breaking her innocence.

Once on her feet, she wobbled dangerously from lack of blood and the dizziness that ensued. Ron struck again, rushing her. His shoulder ploughed into her midsection, knocking her back onto her back again. Her magic flared a final time and it felt as if her mother was pressing soft kisses all over her in comfort. She had never experienced her magic feeling anything like this before. Ron flew off of her once more, this time not rising once he was slumped on the ground.

The door banged open and Hermione turned her head as slowly as she could so as not to cause herself more pain. Draco was standing there, mouth open in a most undignified way, staring at her. After just a moment, he was on his knees next to her and stripped his robes off so he could wrap them around her.

"What the fuck happened to you, Granger?"

He gathered her into his arms and she could smell his scent wrapped closely around her, bergamot and sandalwood. For some reason, it was as comforting to her as Harry's scent of mint, citrus and just a hint of leather that reminded her of her old saddle. Her hands grasped his oxford and she was startled to see that she left it bloody. When she spoke, her voice was raspy.

"Ron, he...he wasn't happy...I turned him down." She felt Draco huff angrily before standing. At this point, Professor Snape wasn't even rating in her thoughts. It all became too much, and Hermione's world went dark.

-O-

Draco was hiding from Pansy. She wouldn't leave him alone in the common room, she kept sitting in his lap and attacking his mouth with hers or making disparaging comments about the fact that he was "stuck with the mudblood" for his partner in Transfiguration. Finally, he could take no more and left the common room in a huff.

He watched from his secret alcove as Pansy tried to follow after him. Draco knew without a doubt that if he returned to his friends after she had gone, either Daphne or Millie would tell her that he was back. She was relentless.

Draco had told her many times that they weren't an item, they weren't going out, and he only wanted to fuck her when he was in the mood for it. He hadn't touched her since June and she still managed to chase after him like he had said nothing at all. Sometimes, Draco wondered if his father was behind her actions, Lucius wanted him to make a proper match after all, but Pansy had never said anything and he didn't dare ask.

Draco found himself wandering the school, doing his absolute best to avoid the prefects on patrol. The last thing he wanted was to be caught when he was a prefect himself. He knew Professor Snape would find his bevaior most unbecoming and tell Lucius. The last thing he needed was another lesson with the Cruciatus.

The Slytherin had made his way to the transfiguration corridor because he was secretly disappointed that he hadn't been able to meet with Granger. He couldn't explain his feelings, frankly, he'd be thrilled if he didn't have to, but he had wanted Hermione Granger as his own since their third year when she had smacked him hard enough to bruise his face.

He was no stranger to physical punishment. Lucius had been "teaching him" since as long as he could remember, but something inside him had changed when Granger, the most non-violent person he knew, had lost her temper with him and struck him. It made him realize that he really was a little shit, that he was just an extension of his father rather than his own person, and he had respected her for it since.

Draco couldn't act on his feelings, however. His father would have tortured him for who knew how long and he probably would have had Granger killed. She wasn't safe with her muggle parents and until that changed, Draco didn't dare make a move on her.

When her parents had been killed over the holidays, Draco had assumed that she had been moved into one of the safer wizarding homes of her friends. Severus had mentioned that Dumbledore was her guardian now so he could only assume she was with an Order member. Now that she was safer, he didn't mind being more friendly to her, even starting a relationship with her if he could. He had been tortured before and as much as he didn't relish the idea, he was tired of being told what to do and how to act.

Draco had been surprised to see her in Diagon Alley. Even though they had started with suspicion between them, the following conversation had been the most pleasant that they had ever shared. He had enjoyed it. What had thrilled him the most was the flash of betrayal in her eyes when she had seen his arm around Pansy's shoulders. It was proof that his feelings weren't one-sided.

Draco wasn't stupid, however. He knew for a fact that she was in love with Potter. While it did kick his competitive nature into overdrive, he didn't find that he was jealous. It was confusing as all fuck since he had made clear to anyone that he had dated before that he didn't share. He just continued to tell himself that he had to get the girl close first before he needed to deal with the other issues.

A loud thud pulled him out of his thoughts. It was in the classroom he had just passed. Knowing he would probably regret it later, he tried to open the door only to find it locked. With a quick wave of his wand, the door banged open and the scene before him stunned him to the point where his mouth hung open and he was rooted to the spot.

Granger, well he assumed it was Granger since Weasley was on the floor behind her and they were patrolling partners, was nearly naked, bruised, and bloody. She was laying on the floor and looked as if she wasn't going to remain conscious much longer.

Finally getting in gear, Draco rushed forward and took his robes off as he went to her side. He could see that she was injured all over, but he wanted to save her modesty also. He wrapped his robes around her as gently as he could, lifting her into the circle of his arms. He couldn't get over how different she looked.

While he had always known that Granger wasn't the prettiest girl at Hogwarts, he had always found her attractive. Her chocolate hair and chocolate eyes had been warm and caring, something he would have loved to have aimed his way. Now she looked completely different.

Her facial structure hadn't changed, neither had her height or weight. Her considerable curves remained just as they had been as well. Now, however, her hair hung down past her waist in sleek black curls, the dry and frizzy locks long gone. Her eyes were a bright shimmering blue and he could have lost himself in them. Her skin wasn't pale, but she wasn't overly tan either. There was an adorable sprinkling of freckles over the bridge of her nose. In that moment, he wanted to count exactly how many there were.

"What the fuck happened to you, Granger?" He wasn't sure she realized it, but she was snuggling into his chest. Even though she was hurt, it felt amazing to be needed by this incredibly strong woman.

"Ron, he...he wasn't happy...I turned him down." Righteous fury flared inside him, especially when he looked down and saw blood trickling down her inner thigh. He wanted to question her further, but she had finally passed out from either the trauma or the pain. Either way, he didn't blame her.

Draco spotted her wand on the ground across the room. Before he made for the door, he bent and retrieved her lost wand and laid it across her chest. He slid his own into his hand so he could cast a petrificus totalus on Weasley. The last thing he wanted was for him to wander off from the scene of the crime.

After locking Weasley inside the room, Draco hurried towards the Hospital Wing. There weren't any students for him to run into, honestly, by this point there probably weren't any prefects to run into either. He was three corridors away from the Hospital Wing when he spotted the Weaselette and the daft Ravenclaw sneaking their way out of an alcove. When they spotted him, they froze, certain they were about to get in trouble. Draco had no time to deal with them, however.

"Weasley, go get Potter. Tell him I have Granger and I'm taking her to the Hospital Wing." She started forward as if she wanted to check on Hermione herself, but he growled at her.

"Go fucking get him." Weasley stopped and nodded before grasping the Ravenclaw's and dragging her away down the corridor.

Draco quickly made his way the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing. When he banged through the doors, he was quick to yell for Madam Pomfrey as he laid Hermione down on the nearest bed. The aging witch appeared before him and started when she saw the state that Hermione was in. She didn't recognize her, however.

"Who is this, Mr. Malfoy?" He smoothed Hermione's hair back off her forehead while he answered.

"It's Hermione Granger. I don't know why her apprarance changed, but she needs help." Madam Pomfrey didn't need any further prodding. He had known for two years that Hermione was one of her favorite students.

Draco couldn't help but finger one of the curls that spilled off the top of her pillow while he waited for Potter to show up. It was soft and shiny even though it was also caked in blood and dirt from herself and the castle floor. It was on his fourth time of twirling her curl around his finger that the door banged open and Potter entered. He didn't seem to notice that Draco was anywhere next to her. Madam Pomfrey was fetching potions so he came forward and grasped her hand in his.

"Hermione?" Draco decided to speak.

"I don't know why she looks different, but I promise you, it's her." Potter's head snapped up and noticed Draco for the first time.

"What happened to her? If I find out you hurt her, I'll -." Draco cut him off.

"If I hurt her, why would I bring her to the Hospital Wing?" Potter seemed to realize how stupid he sounded so he just repeated himself.

"What happened to her?" Draco shrugged.

"I found her barely conscious on the ground in one of the transfiguration class rooms. Your best mate was on the ground halfway across the room. When I asked her what happened, she said Ron wasn't happy she has turned him down." Potter could have killed someone in that moment, it was obvious. He didn't say another word, just bent and pressed a kiss to Hermione's forehead before storming back out of the Wing. He could only assume that he was going to fetch a professor, probably their Head of House.

Potter hadn't been gone more than five minutes when the doors to the Hospital Wing banged open once more. Professors Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall entered, worry etched on all their faces. It was in this moment that Draco recalled that Hermione had been distracted and nervous about something to do with Severus. He wondered if the older man would let it slip. It was definetely odd to see a look on his face similar to one of caring and worry.

They didn't approach him, but stopped to speak with Madam Pomfrey. Judging by the serious looks on their faces, Draco had a feeling things were only going to get more complicated.

-O-

Harry had never been more livid in his life. He knew that it was dangerous to be in his position and have a weakness, but he couldn't help it. Hermione was his weakness more so any other person in the world. Nobody hurt her and didn't pay for it.

It was easy to find the locked door down the transfiguration corridor. With a swish of his wand and a non-verbal incantation he didn't realize he could perform, the door banged open. Ron was laying face up on the floor at the far side of the room, blood coloring his robes. Harry couldn't see any evidence of it belonging to him so he was going to assume it belonged to Hermione.

With another swish of his wand, he released Ron from what Harry assumed was an immobilization spell. The redhead groaned and started to crawl to his feet and for a moment, Harry wondered if Malfoy had gotten the wrong end of the stick.

"What the fuck happened here, Ron?" He hadn't planned on asking Ron anything, just delivering the justice Hermione deserved and getting back to the Hospital Wing. Ron's tone of voice when he answered was full of loathing.

"You just had to do it, didn't you? You had to steal the one thing I had going for me." Harry stopped short. What the fuck was he talking about? He let Ron continue to get his bearings.

"What the fuck are you on about?" Ron sneered his way as he leaned against the desk behind him.

"It means she told me that she wouldn't date me because she didn't have feelings for me. I told her she threw me over for you, for Malfoy. To my horrendous surprise, she didn't deny it. She wants you and Malfoy. She's a traitorous whore, that's what she is." Harry tried to process his friend's words. The conversation with Ginny came back to him and it suddenly made sense.

Of course she liked Draco Malfoy. While Harry was smart in his own way, he wasn't intellectual like Hermione. He didn't read books to learn new things like she did. Malfoy did. Harry and Hermione connected on an emotional level whereas he could see her connecting with Malfoy on an intellectual level.

While he was thrilled to discover that Hermione had feelings for him just like Ginny had told him, he was completely astounded by the fact that he didn't feel jealous of the fact that Malfoy could possibly want his best friend either.

Judging by the way Malfoy had been hovering next to Hermione's still body, worry in his eyes, there was an extremely good chance that he wanted her just as much as Harry did. He was brought back to reality when Ron continued his rambling.

"I told her I was the best she was going to get, that you needed someone who could live up to the image of the Chosen One. Malfoy would never want her, she's just a filthy mudblood, after all. I just don't understand -." Harry cut him off again.

"Don't worry about what Malfoy and I want. What happened between the two of you?" Ron laughed a laugh that Harry didn't even know he was capable of making. It sounded demented and evil at the same time.

"I just showed the little bitch that nobody makes a fool out of me." Harry didn't need any more confirmation than that.

He lunged at his former best friend and let his fists fly. It didn't matter where Harry hit him, as long as there was the satisfactory thud of skin on skin, he was thrilled. He was like a man possessed, moving quicker than he thought he could previously. Ron landed a few punches on Harry, but he didn't seem to feel them. He could feel the blood trickling from his nose down into his mouth, but he couldn't feel the pain from the actual blow.

When Harry finally made himself stop, Ron was laid out on the desk, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. Harry kicked the desk to catch his attention.

"You ever touch her again, I'll kill you. They need me to kill Voldemort so don't think I'll get in too serious of trouble." He didn't wait to make sure that Ron had understood. He didn't even wait to make sure that he was still breathing. Harry simply turned and left so he could head back to the Hospital Wing.

He was sure that he was a sight for sore eyes, he knew he was covered in his own fair share of blood. He didn't care. Let it serve as a warning to those that would harm Hermione. When he re-entered the Hospital Wing, Malfoy was still standing guard at Hermione's side. It seemed weird to think it, but he was glad that the blond had stayed with her.

Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Dumbledore were speaking softly amongst themselves. When the door banged open, they turned to see just who had entered. Professor McGonagall gasped when she saw him and rushed forward. Her hands smoothed back his unruly hair and took in his injuries. Madam Pomfrey followed after her, her wand already making quick work of his obvious injuries.

"What in the name of Merlin happened to you, Potter?" He pulled his wand so he could siphon some of the blood off his robes.

"I found Ron. He told me that he taught her a lesson for making a fool out of him because she didn't want to date him. I showed him exactly what would happen to him if he ever touched her again." The strict Gryffindor gasped again and dropped her hands.

"Where is he, Potter?" He shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care.

"Same place I found him. Third classroom to the right of your classroom. Don't mind the mess." Without a word, Professor McGonagall hurried off after the other injured boy.

Surprisingly, Professor Snape remained silent. Harry made his way to the bed so he could take Hermione's hand in his own. It was Professor Dumbledore that came forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You know I have to give you detention for that, correct, Harry?" He shrugged the older man's hand off his shoulder. Nobody seemed to give a fuck about Hermione and the fact that she was laying there injured.

"I don't give a fuck how many detentions I have to serve. I'll serve them happily. It was worth the satisfaction of showing Weasley that if he ever touches her again, I'll make sure he doesn't live through it." Harry was confused to see an approving look on their dour potions professor's face. Professor Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.

"You know how serious that statement is, don't you, Harry?" Harry sighed and turned to face his Headmaster.

"I understand exactly what it means. You don't fuck with the people I care about. Hermione is the most important person in my life and I would happily kill for her. I suppose if you want me to not kill Ronald Weasley, you'll keep him the fuck away from Hermione. Besides, if Voldemort is to be believed, our world needs me to kill him. He's convinced I'm the one who has the power to bring him down. Guess if that's the case, I won't be going to Azkaban." Harry knew that he was acting out of his normal laid-back nature, but he wanted to stress to the Headmaster how much he needed to keep Ron away from Hermione. Dumbledore watched him for a moment before he spoke.

"One night of detention, to be served tomorrow night, with Professor Snape. Report to his classroom at six p.m." Harry nodded and didn't say a single word against his punishment. Instead, he turned to Madam Pomfrey.

"What are her injuries?" She cast a glance at the Headmaster and he hesitated a moment before he gave her a small nod. She sighed before beginning.

"Her nose was broken, along with her cheekbone. There were bruises all over her body. There was a torn muscle in her neck that we think happened when she was struck. She suffered more than one blow to her midsection and it bruised her spleen and lacerated her kidney. There were abrasions all over her body. She has cuts down her body in a line, suggesting that it's from the curse that cut her clothes away." Harry froze. He hadn't realized that she had been naked. His head came up quickly.

"Was she raped?" His fury was simmering inside him again and he was doing his best to control it. Madam Pomfrey looked downward.

"Her nipple had teeth mark lacerations around it and she had something pushed inside her. It tore her some on the inside. It's my estimation that it was a hand with sharp nails. Since her barrier is still intact, I feel I am safe in the assumption that she was not technically raped." Harry wished that he had killed Ron. It was too much that he had hurt Hermione, but to discover that he had sexually assaulted her as well was just over the top.

Harry chanced a glance up at Malfoy and saw that he appeared to be struggling with anger as well. Harry knew he was right now about how the Slytherin felt for Hermione. He turned his attention back to the mediwitch.

"Why does she look like this? What happened to her?" Professor Dumbledore stepped forward and laid his hand on his shoulder again and this time Harry allowed it.

"That's a story for tomorrow, I think. Your friend is going to be just fine and she needs her rest. You and Mr. Malfoy both need to return to your dormitories." Harry knew that there was no way that he would be able to stay with her so he eventually nodded his head.

Harry leaned down and pressed another kiss to Hermione's forehead. When he stepped back, he watched Malfoy finger one of Hermione's long sleek curls. The black of her hair really did make her look stunning.

Both boys left the Hospital Wing together and remained silent until they reached the staircase. Harry turned and offered his hand to Malfoy. It didn't escape his attention that this was exactly what happened before their first year but with very different results.

"I owe you, Malfoy. I don't know what's going on with you and Hermione, but if she accepts you, I will too. Thanks for saving her." Malfoy grasped his hand in his own.

"I didn't save her. She had somehow thrown him off of her without a wand. I picked it up and brought it to the Hospital Wing with her. I'm not sure what's going on between us either, but at the very least I would like to be her friend." Harry caught the meaning to his words.

"At the very least? Are you in love with Hermione?" Malfoy looked distinctly uncomfortable, but finally met his eyes.

"I've been in love with her since she slapped the shite out of me our third year." Harry chuckled to himself.

"You caught on quicker than I did. I didn't fall for her until the Yule Ball." Now Malfoy chuckled. They backed away from each other.

"Later, Malfoy." He nodded and started down the stairs.

"Later, Potter." Harry watched him for just a moment before he turned and made his way up the stairs, the complete opposite direction of Malfoy.

-O-

Severus sat at the bedside of his long-lost daughter. She had briefly woke long enough for Poppy to force a sleeping draught down her throat. Once she had disappeared back into her quarters, Severus had sneaked back into the Hospital Wing so he could keep watch at her side.

Realizing that his daughter had resurfaced again was like heaven on earth. Wizards had no concept of what heaven was and what it stood for, but as a half blood, he did. He could say with complete certainty that his prayers had been answered.

He had dreamed of having his daughter return to him every night since Albus had informed him that she must be taken. There was a huge amount of resentment for the old man since he hadn't even deigned to tell Severus why she must disappear. It had been a bone of contention amongst them for nearly fifteen years.

Now she was back. Severus didn't know her as he wished and he wasn't sure if she would let him remedy the situation, but he truly hoped she would. He knew he was a hard man that lived a hard life, that he wasn't the person most people would list as an amazing parent. However, he knew that he loved his daughter with his whole heart and he would die for her any day of the week. He didn't claim to be perfect, but he knew he had that going in his favor.

Severus felt terrible for freezing up when he realized that she was indeed his daughter. She had ran from the room, probably not in the best state of mind on top of blood loss. The fact that she had been assaulted directly after leaving him made him feel more guilty for that than anything he had ever done in his life.

The Slytherin never thought that he would applaud Potter being an arrogant prat before, but it had happened today. He sincerely wished that he could have been the one to beat Weasley bloody, but Potter acting as a stand-in would have to do.

He and Albus hadn't spoken of the fact that it was obvious now that Hermione was his daughter. Her appearance now was a dead giveaway. Severus had never found himself to be a handsome man, but when he saw the best traits of himself and Alexandra mixed perfectly in his daughter, he could proudly say that his daughter was exquisite.

Severus supposed that there would be several conversations to be had the next day in regards to her parentage and just what had happened between herself and Weasley. He was also curious to see how she would react to the fact that both Draco and Potter seemed very interested in her.

Severus heaved a deep sigh. He needed to head down to his quarters and attempt to get a little bit of sleep. Tomorrow wasn't going to be an easy day for any of them.

Severus bent and pressed a kiss to her forehead much the same as Potter had and fingered the silky soft hair on her pillow. She truly was the best of him.

He stole out of the Hospital Wing as quietly as he had entered, the door closing quietly behind him.

A/N- Oh emm gee! This chapter is a monster! I really should have made it two, but there just wasn't a good place to split it up. Please don't send me any messages about how I'm terrible for making Ron the bad guy. I warned everyone that Ron was going to be a complete douche rocket in this fic and Molly isn't going to be much better. Don't like it, move along. As for the readers that understand my inclination towards Ron bashing and don't seem to mind, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave me your thoughts, they keep me motivated, especially when I struggle with keeping my eye on the prize!

Next chapter, several difficult conversations are had and Hermione discovers exactly why she was taken.

Love,

Alicia


	9. Chapter 9

A/N- Y'all are the best readers in the world. Your feedback and support mean so much to me! I would never be able to finish this fic without y'all. I appreciate it more than I can say. On to the next chapter!

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me. I haven't made any money off any of my fics. Nope, not a single dime.

Chapter 9

September 6, 1995

Hermione came awake a little at a time, the sun warming her face and making her feel safe. She turned her head on the pillow and a stiffness that she hadn't been expecting made her groan. As she tried to move, she found that her whole body was stiff and sore.

Suddenly, last night flooded back to her and Hermione knew exactly why she was sore. She remembered Draco finding her in that empty classroom down the transfiguration corridor, Ron unconscious on the floor across the room from her.

The last thing she remembered was Draco holding her close and her snuggling into his comforting scent. She wondered if he had told Harry, if anyone had. She wouldn't want her friend to be worried about her.

It was almost an afterthought when she wondered just what had happened to Ronald. What if her magic had killed him? She would be expelled from Hogwarts for forever and she would truly have no place in either world then. Ginny and the twins would hate her, her only female friend would curse the very sight of her.

Hermione slowly sat up, doing her best to keep her movement slow and steady so as not to trigger any unknown pain. When she was finally upright, her curls fell forward and she started. Instead of the dull, mousy brown color that she had become accustomed to, they were a raven color, soft and shiny in texture. Her heart began to race and she knew that she needed to see what else had changed.

Leaning over and grabbing her wand from her bedside table, Hermione conjured a large hand mirror. Peering into the glass, Hermione was astounded at what she saw. Her hair reached past her waist and the raven curls were soft, shiny, and silky. Her skin was much paler than she remembered with a fine sprinkling of freckles across her nose. Her eyes were no longer a chocolate color, but a bright, brilliant blue.

Her hands felt at her body, cupping her breasts and tracing her curves, deciding that nothing there had seemed to change. The general shape of her face appeared to be the same, but she still felt so different. Apparently, she had to have been under the influence of a glamour. How or why it was broken was unknown. At least now she understood what the spreading of her magic had been the night before during her altercation with Ron.

There was now no pretending that she hadn't learned that Professor Snape was her father. While she wasn't his mirror image, it was quite clear that she was related to him. Suddenly, she realized that he was going to hate her even more now that she looked like him and he couldn't deny her to other people.

Her breathing sped up, along with her heart, and she could feel a cold sweat covering her body. Hermione tried to keep calm, to regulate her breathing, but it didn't seem to be doing any good. She didn't even realize that she wasn't alone until the bed dipped next to her and Harry's familiar scent filled her nose.

His arm went around her shoulders and she buried her face in his neck. Warm fingers threaded through her opposite hand and she turned to see that Draco had moved to her other side. For just a moment, she forgot her own troubles when she realized that the two sworn enemies were both on the bed with her, both comforting her, and neither was hexing the other.

Hermione kept her face buried in Harry's neck while Draco held her hand and used his free hand to rub her thigh softly. She was surprised that she tolerated their touch so easily after Ron's treatment of her the night before. Finally, Harry pulled her away from him and gently pushed her under Draco's waiting arm so he could do something. Draco's arm went around her and together they watched Harry disappear into the office that Madam Pomfrey kept.

When he reappeared, Harry had a vial in his hand that Hermione instantly recognized as a calming draught. She took the proferred potion and drank it down without comment before burrowing back into Draco's side. Harry took a seat at the foot of the bed so he could take one of her tiny feet in his large, warm hands and rub them softly. She finally felt herself calm, feeling able to remove herself from the blond's side.

"Thank you, I feel better now." She raked a hand through her silly curls. Harry spoke, but continued rubbing her foot.

"What had you so upset, 'Mi?" She scrubbed her eyes with the the flat of her palm before speaking.

"He's going to hate me even more now. He won't be able to get rid of me." Both young men looked at her, completely confused. Finally, Draco broke the silence.

"Hermione, I don't think you should care if the Weasel hates you after what he did to you." His voice was soft when he spoke. Harry spoke before she could.

"I agree with Draco. I'm done with Ron and I think you should be too." She gave them a confused look before she realized that they had interpreted her words wrong.

"No, I was talking about my meeting with Professor Snape." Harry instantly understood, but Draco looked completely lost.

Rather than make Hermione repeat the story to Draco, Harry summarized the events of her summer and just what had made her believe that she was in fact adopted and that her parents had been coerced magically. It took several minutes to explain, but when he was finished, Draco rubbed her thigh again in comfort.

"No wonder you were a mess yesterday." She nodded and Harry spoke before she could.

"You don't have to tell us, 'Mi, if you don't feel comfortable with us knowing. It must be a big deal if it has you this upset." She pulled a lock of hair forward and began twisting it in her fingers. When she looked up and met their eyes, she spit it out before she could take Harry up on his offer.

"My biological parents are Professor Snape and Alexandra Nott." Harry stared at her like he didn't comprehend exactly what she was saying and Draco drew in a sharp breath. She shot him a dirty look, but he held his hands up in his defense.

"I don't think less of you for it, but it's a well-known story in my circle." Her curiosity was piqued and it seemed that Harry's was as well. She gave him her full attention, urging him on. He sighed and laid an arm around her shoulders again.

"Everyone knew that Alexandra Nott had had a baby fathered by someone else, but it was never stated who the father was. All anyone knew was that the pregnancy was sanctioned by the Dark Lord. Then out of nowhere, when the little girl was around a month old, she disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever discovered how she was taken or what happened to her. Most people suspected that Theo's father had something to do with it, but the Dark Lord questioned him extensively and found him innocent. Theo still gets pissed when people bring it up around him because everyone said that his mother died giving birth to him because she was so brokenhearted." Hermione couldn't help but feel her eyes fill with tears at Draco's story. Her story. She couldn't help but wonder if Theo blamed her for their mother dying. Suddenly, another thought occurred to her.

"I wonder why Voldemort would sanction a child born from a married pureblood woman and a half blood? It just doesn't make sense." Before anyone else could answer her, another voice spoke.

"That's precisely what we're here to discuss." Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape stepped into the Hospital Wing and Hermione was instantly embarrassed to be caught speculating while the Headmaster and her father were listening. She tried to draw her foot out of Harry's hands, but he held fast to it until she was forced to relax.

Hermione watched as both men pulled chairs up next to the bed, neither one of them commenting on the fact that she had two men in bed with her. She was slightly surprised when she saw Professor Snape eyeing Draco's arm around her as if it was a personal insult to him. Professor Dumbledore fingered the ends of his beard before he spoke.

"Before we embark on the conversation regarding your parentage, we need to discuss the events that occurred last night between yourself and Mr. Weasley." Hermione felt a hot flash of shame when she replayed the events in her mind. She looked down in her lap and knotted her fingers together. Harry squeezed the instep of her foot to catch her attention.

"Nothing he did to you is your fault." Draco brushed her lng ebony tresses back behind her shoulder when she met Harry's gaze. Professor Snape spoke for the first time since entering the room.

"Would it make you more comfortable if you spoke with only the Headmaster?" Even though she knew Professor Dumbledore didn't look at her in a sexual way, the thought of her speaking of something of such a personal nature with only him unnerved her. She met her father's eyes briefly before shaking her head.

"No, no, it's fine." She heaved a sigh as Harry continued to massage her foot.

"I was shocked at the results of the paternity potion, I mean, I know Professor Snape doesn't like me so I got upset and ran. Ron found me and reminded me that we had rounds. It went fine for awhile until we reached the transfiguration corridor. He locked us in the classroom and asked me to be his girlfriend. I was honest with him, told him I see him as a brother but nothing more, but he started insulting me.

He told me that I threw him over for Harry and for Draco. When I didn't deny it, he called me a whore and told me that he was going to teach me a lesson and obliviate me. He slapped me and then took my wand. I was already dizzy because of the blood I gave for the paternity potion so I wasn't as quick on my feet as usual.

Ron cut my clothes away and punched me in the belly so hard I threw up. He hit me a few times before he he put his mouth on my breast and bit me hard enough to make me cry out. I was still struggling, but he pushed his fingers inside me. While he was working them inside me, I could feel his fingernails cutting me open. It hurt so badly.

Then my magic flared within me and I could suddenly feel it everywhere. I didn't direct it at all, but it threw Ron off of me and into the wall. He got back up though and went after me again. He asked me what happened to me, but at the time I didn't realize he meant my appearance. The second time he hurt me, my magic threw him off of me again. He didn't move and it was then that Draco found us. He helped sit me up and wrapped me in his robe. I don't really remember anything else after that."

Hermione couldn't help but raise her eyes to see how they were taking her story. She didn't think that Harry, or even Draco for that matter, would think she was lying, but there was always that underlying fear. She was thrilled to see that everyone in the room seemed to believe her.

Harry's face had hardened and she could see that his jaw was clenched as if he was gritting his teeth. His hands remained gentle on her foot and ankle, however, so she knew he wasn't angry with her. Draco didn't show any outward signs of anger, he had perfected his impassive mask long ago after all, but she could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves. Professor Dumbledore's eyes had lost their twinkle and his expression was somber. What surprised her the most was Professor Snape. The fury painted across his face was unmistakable. His words were more like a hiss.

"You need to punish the boy, Albus, I won't stand for anything less than expulsion. He tried to rape her and planned to obliviate her afterwards." Hermione felt her heart warm just a little at his words, but she quickly tamped down on the feeling. She didn't want to get her hopes up in regards to her father actually caring about her. Dumbledore sighed.

"You know I had to make a deal, Severus." The Slytherin huffed angrily, but remained silent as the Headmaster turned back to Hermione.

"Professor Umbridge was made aware of the events of last night by rumor. She came and questioned me as to the truthfulness of the claims. As she is a ministry official, I can't outright lie about things like this happening in our school." He paused and folded his hands in his lap.

"Professor Umbridge has stated that Mr. Weasley can't be expelled due to an old law that was never repealed. It states that when a pureblood commits a crime against a muggleborn, there is no recourse. We can show the world that you are indeed a half blood, but I'm not sure we should tip our hand quite yet. I feel Mr. Weasley will be wary of interaction with you after the lesson taught him."

Hermione was horrified at what she heard. A pureblood could do whatever they wanted to a muggleborn and fear no punishment? What kind of world did she live in? Her heart was starting to pound again and Draco tugged her curls lightly so she would look up at him.

"It's not right, but there isn't anything we can do about it right now. I agree with the Headmaster. We shouldn't tell anyone your parentage yet." She gazed into his silver eyes for a moment before she turned to Harry.

"How did you teach Ron a lesson?" Harry met her gaze unapologetically.

"Draco told me where he found you and I went and found him immobilized. I even allowed him a chance to explain, but he pretty much backed your story. I beat the holy fuck out of him. Don't give me that look either, he tried to rape you. You're my best friend and I love you, I won't stand by and allow that to happen."

As much as Hermione wanted to be angry at his words and actions, she couldn't be. He had turned his back on his best friend for her. Instead of lecturing him, she leaned forward onto her knees so she could hug him. After pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she whispered in his ear.

"Thank you. I love you too, Harry." He kissed the side of her head and allowed her to take her seat once more.

Hermione snuggled into Draco's side and allowed him to rub warmth back into her arms. Professors Snape and Dumbledore watched impassively as she allowed the two young men on her bed to comfort her. When the Headmaster spoke again, his tone was still serious.

"I have insisted that Mr. Weasley serve detentions, and they will be with Severus here, but that is all I can do at the moment due to the laws still active in the Wizengamot. I apologize, Hermione." She nodded wearily.

This whole situation was already more than she wanted to deal with. The Headmaster and Professor Snape straightened in their chairs before speaking again.

"Now we need to speak of your parentage and how you came to be known as a Granger." Hermione knew it was coming, but she still couldn't help but tense at his words. The last thing she wanted to hear was why her true parents had managed a way to get rid of her under the detection of the Dark Lord. Instead of voicing her words, she nodded and laid her head on Draco's shoulder while Harry continued to rub her other foot.

The fact that she continued to let the men comfort her with no guilt still astounded her.

"I think I'll let Severus begin the story and I'll fill in the blanks." Hermione nodded slightly and turned her attention to her father. Professor Snape sighed before he began.

"I had just joined the Death Eaters, a mistake if I've ever made one. The Dark Lord called me to his side and told me that he needed me to complete a task that would strengthen our world. Eager as ever, still unaware of the huge mistake I had made, I agreed." For the first time, Hermione saw signs of distress in their professor as he raked his hand through his hair.

"The Dark Lord ordered me to bed Thoros Nott's wife, Alexandra, and make her conceive. I was young and she was gorgeous with her long blond hair and bright blue eyes. I took to the task with fervor despite the hatred that developed between myself and Thoros.

It took nearly four months for her to conceive, the Dark Lord was ordering progress reports nearly every two weeks on my progress. I had even set up a room at Nott Manor, most uncomfortable since the head of the house despised me.

The Dark Lord was thrilled when Alexandra announced her pregnancy. He insisted that she receive the best care that the healers could provide so a healthy pregnancy would be viable. The months passed without any new problems. I still had no information as to why the Dark Lord wanted me to father a child with a married woman, thus creating dissention in the ranks.

The pregnancy progressed well. There weren't many problems with mother or baby. Even though I had sworn that I never wanted to continue my line because of my father, I found myself excited for the birth of my daughter." He paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Hermione held her breath since she knew the answers she sought were just ahead. Professor Snape turned her way and spoke directly to her.

"My daughter was born the thirteenth of September, not the nineteenth that you grew up believing. I was there when you were born and I heard your first cry. I held you even before your mother. Even though you were only considered a half blood, Alexandra loved you desperately.

You were the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. You had inherited my dark hair, but Alexandra's curls and blue eyes. My mother's freckles appeared on your nose within the first week. We brought you before the Dark Lord at just two weeks old and he cackled with glee when he saw you, called you the change we needed in the world. I didn't care about any of that, I had just been thrilled that he had let you live." He sighed as if he was getting ready to confess his soul.

"Out of nowhere, the Dark Lord sent me to the Hog's Head to meet with Dumbledore for a job interview. I didn't know it at the time, but he was also interviewing Sybil Trelawney. I overheard a vital prophesy that I was honor bound to report to the Dark Lord. However, that ended up being the worst mistake of my life." He sighed before he buried his head in his hands.

"I was best friends with Lily Evans growing up and when I reported the prophecy, the Dark Lord assumed that she and her unborn offspring were the subject of the prophecy. When I realized that Lily was in danger, I realized that I had to do something. Therefore, I swallowed my pride and I went to Dumbledore. He assured me that he would keep Lily safe if I turned spy.

When Hermione was just a month old, the Headmaster called me to his side to inform me that Hermione had to be taken. He assured me that she would be well-loved and cared for, but that she needed to be placed with another family immediately. I was confused as to why she had to be moved, but Albus assured me again that it was necessary and that I should trust him. I drank myself stupid the day I heard from the Dark Lord that my child was gone."

Hermione couldn't believe the words out of her father's mouth. Why would Voldemort want her conceived and born? None of it made any sense considering he valued purebloods and she was an obvious half blood. She didn't understand and for the first time ever, she felt an ounce of pity for her father. She couldn't even imagine accepting something like this without any reason from either master. He had been used by both Dumbledore and Voldemort, plain and simple. To say that she had lost a great amount of respect for her Headmaster would have been an understatement. As if she realized that the Headmaster would have plenty to say, she met his gaze and gave him her full attention. The Headmaster sighed, running his fingers through his beard.

"My story begins when Severus came to me about the prophecy he overheard and how he had relayed it to Voldemort. He begged me to keep Lily and James Potter safe, along with any child they may bear. Of course, I promised it. I had been informed that Sirius had been made their secret keeper and he would be guarding the location of their residence.

I had no idea that they had all decided to 'pull a fast one' as the muggles say. They switched to Peter Pettigrew and he betrayed them to Voldemort because he had accepted the brand willingly. Everything was made clear when Voldemort appeared in Godric's Hollow on Halloween night and killed both Lily and James Potter like they were nothing.

I knew at that point that Voldemort had accepted the prophecy as gospel and I had to do something to protect Harry from his wrath when he finally returned." Harry broke the silence.

"Pardon my ignorance, sir, but I haven't heard of a prophecy in regards to myself." Professor Dumbledore chuckled.

"Of course you wouldn't. You were but a babe. When Professor Snape overheard Professor Trelawney giving the prophecy, he didn't hear the whole thing. It is the Dark Lord's downfall. I will tell you the prophecy, but you must remain calm." Hermione felt herself nod and watched Harry as he did his best to act like it wasn't affecting him.

"What Professor Trelawney spoke to me read as follows.

'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'"

Hermione was speechless. How dare Professor Dumbledore keep something like this from Harry? This was a matter of life and death and Hermione knew that Harry would feel betrayed. He would likely never trust the Headmaster again, and if Hermione was completely honest with herself, she didn't blame him. At the moment, this seemed like the ultimate betrayal.

Harry seemed to be shaking. Her foot was still gripped gently in his hands, but the rest of his body was shaking uncontrollably. Without a second thought, she pulled away from Draco and crawled towards Harry so she could sit herself comfortably in his lap. Her arms went around his neck and she began mumbling in his ear low enough so only he could hear.

"Don't blow up. You won't get answers if you blow up, you have to remain calm." Draco's hand wrapped around both her bare feet and he took Harry's place. Harry took deep breaths and did his best to calm down. When Harry spoke, his voice was hard.

"You're telling me that either I have to kill Voldemort or he has to kill me? There's no in between?" Dumbledore looked regretful as he shook his head.

"No, there's nothing you can do to change that. You can put it off, but he will continue to live and bring terror to our world for as long as you leave him alive." Hermione wasn't too fond of how the Headmaster had worded it, but she supposed there was nothing for it now. Hermione broke in before Harry could start an argument.

"Alright, we've heard about Harry's prophecy. You told me you knew why I was completely accepted by Voldemort despite the fact that I was a half blood." Hermione stared the Headmaster down and he finally nodded. He looked reluctant to share the upcoming information, but Hermione didn't care what he wanted. She had a right to know since it pertained to her.

"When Severus turned spy for the Order, he told me of his orders in regards to Alexandra Nott. I instantly knew that another prophecy had come to pass, one just as dangerous as the one about Harry. I knew it had because I alone, aside from Voldemort, knew that Severus is Voldemort's son."

Hermione wondered if the Headmaster was trying to joke with her. How would Professor Snape not realize that his father was Voldemort but Professor Dumbledore would? None of it made any fucking sense and her head was beginning to pound. If the wizened wizard before her was to be believed, that meant that she was the granddaughter of the most evil wizard alive today. Now, suddenly, her sorting made sense.

"That makes so much sense." All eyes turned to her and she couldn't help but to giggle. It did no good to get upset or cry, so she may as well giggle.

"The sorting hat insisted that I belonged in Slytherin. I argued with it since I knew I was muggleborn and it just wasn't possible. Therefore, it put me in Gryffindor." Draco chuckled too.

"I can see now how we all would have reacted." Her father waved his hand as if to shut them up.

"That's all well and good, but I know for a fact that Tobias Snape is my father. I also utilized the paternity potion my seventh year at Hogwarts." Professor Dumbledore looked just a tiny bit sheepish.

"You did indeed, but you don't remember the correct results. I found you staring at the steam asking yourself aloud who Tom Riddle was. I knew I had to act so I cast a memory charm on you to make you believe that you were in fact sired by Tobias Snape." Hermione couldn't help but to be enraged at the Headmaster on her father's behalf.

"How could you do that, Headmaster? That was his life, not some game." Professor Snape held up his hand to her.

"I appreciate your indignation, Miss Granger. Rest assured I will continue this conversation with our esteemed Headmaster in private." The Miss Granger was a slap in the face. Maybe it had been habit? She shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts. This was getting far more complicated than she ever thought possible. Hermione decided to continue with the conversation at hand.

"Alright, I'm the granddaughter of Voldemort. How does he know that? What's this prophecy about me?" The Headmaster sighed.

"When Voldemort was in school, his actual name was Tom Riddle. He was an extremely well-liked student, very smart. It was during his sixth year that he actually got caught out of his common room after curfew so he was serving a detention with me and another young Hufflepuff." Professor Dumbledore leaned forward and the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable.

"In the middle of the detention, the young Hufflepuff's eyes rolled back in his head and he began speaking in a voice that didn't belong to him. It was quite clear that he was coming into his Seeing powers. Tom and I both witnessed the prophecy and it has stuck with both of us ever since. The prophecy is why I knew you had to be taken from your true parents. You could not be allowed to follow your grandfather." Hermione couldn't help but to lash out.

"You're the one who kidnapped me." Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, well technically a Dumbledore house elf did. She apparated through the wards and took you in the dead of night. I had found the Grangers the next day. Miranda Granger had just given birth to a stillborn baby that left her barren. I followed them home from the hospital and cast the appropriate memory charms on them so they would believe that she had given birth a month prior. I changed your birthdate so Severus couldn't find you once you came to Hogwarts and I placed you under a glamour charm. I knew your hair and eyes would make you very recognizable. The glamour was to only lift if specifically done by myself or if your magic flared so strongly because it needed to protect you. I had placed it in hopes that if you were ever caught by Voldemort and they didn't know your identity, the change in appearance would save your life."

Hermione didn't know what to think about any of this. Her whole life had been a lie and she hadn't even been told. She never would have known if her parents hadn't been killed. Her fists clenched on their own accord. Harry carded his hands through her hair and tried to keep her calm. The magic within her seemed so much stronger now. Instantly, she understood. She glared at her guardian.

"You bound my magic. I can feel it bubbling just under the surface all the time since my glamour broke. You bound my fucking magic!" Everyone turned surprised eyes towards the Headmaster. Professor Snape looked even more angry if that was possible. Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"I did indeed. It's a fact that most muggleborns aren't as powerful as purebloods, or even half bloods for that matter. You are the product of a very strong wizard and a moderately strong witch with over a century worth of power in your bloodline. You never would have passed for a muggleborn. I did what I had to do to keep not only you safe, but everyone else in our world."

Hermione wanted to tell the Headmaster just how much of a lie that was, but she knew she couldn't. While she knew that most of muggleborns she knew could practice passable magic, it wasn't extraordinary. Draco was her top competitor and he had a pedigree most magic folk would kill for. Muggleborns did always seem to rank towards the bottom of the class. She hadn't been the rule, she was the exception. Finally, she huffed and continued.

"I want to hear the prophecy. I have a right to hear it." The Headmaster nodded.

"You're correct. I believe you are ready for it, but beware. It's even more serious than Harry's. The consequences could be dire." If her curiosity hadn't been piqued yet, it would have been then. She nodded. Harry squeezed her waist and Draco continued his comforting foot rub.

"The heir of the heir of the Dark Lord approaches. One with her power has not been seen in a century. Backed by her two true mates, her magic will either save the world from darkness or plunge it to depths that have never before been seen. Those who stand in her way or bring harm to her mates will surely perish. The darkness will answer to the heir of the heir and her children will bring forth greatness never imagined."

Hermione had no idea how to feel about the prophecy. It did sound incredibly serious, but she still wasn't sure that the Headmaster's actions were justified. Suddenly, she wanted to know why any of this was even necessary.

"Why didn't you just tell Professor Snape the truth? You could have hid me, but he could have still seen me, he could have made his own decisions instead of being manipulated by you and Voldemort. I know he's a bastard most of the time, but he turned spy to protect his best friend. He wasn't completely evil and if he cared for me like he says, he would have wanted to protect me. What gave you the right?" The old headmaster spoke quietly.

"He had very willingly joined the Death Eaters. Yes, he wanted to protect Lily, but that didn't mean he didn't want Voldemort to prevail. That would have been handing him the greatest weapon of all. You can hate me all you like, but I did what I did to protect the largest amount of people, not worry about the sensibilities of a young girl and her morally confused father."

Hermione supposed that he was correct, but that didn't mean that she liked it or that she had to be happy about it. She removed herself from Harry's lap and stood next to the bed. The floor was cold on her bare feet, but she didn't notice it overly much. Without any warning, her feet were warm. Even though it warranted thought, she didn't have time for it at the moment.

"Maybe you're right, Headmaster. Maybe you're not. If you have no more enlightening explanations, I'll be on my way. I need some time alone."

Nobody said anything so she took her leave. Before she reached the doors of the Hospital Wing, she thought that she should perhaps change her clothes. Instantly, her clothing appeared, although they weren't what she would normally wear. The royal blue witch's robes fit her perfectly and she loved how they felt next to her skin. The men behind her gasped, but she continued on her way without a word.

Let her father and the scheming headmaster try to figure out how she managed it.

-O-

Harry stood as soon as Hermione left, Draco following his lead. He didn't say a word to either professor, but gave them a quick nod before they left the Hospital Wing. Hermione had said she wanted to be alone so he figured he could manage that for a couple hours. He worried about her state of mind, but he also knew she valued being able to work through her problems on her own sometimes.

Both Harry and Draco made their way towards the Great Hall. It was already lunch time and they were both starving. Harry knew that he was going to have to answer questions in regards to Hermione and just where she had been, but in truth, he figured everyone already knew. Dumbledore had said that Umbridge had heard about what happened through rumor.

The pair reached the Great Hall and before they stepped through the doors, Draco spoke.

"I know you know where she went. We ahould go find her after we eat and make sure that she's alright. That was a lot to drop on a person that was just physically and sexually attacked." Harry nodded.

"We'll eat first. I'll grab her a sandwich and we'll go find her." Draco gave a resolute nod before they entered the Hall together.

Everyone turned and stared at the pair, but neither let it bother them. Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table and sat down warily by Ginny. While he knew that Ron had gotten what was coming to him, he doubted that his siblings would be in agreement. Therefore, he remained silent until Ginny and the twins leaned over so they could hear. Ginny broke their silence

"We want to let you know that we aren't angry about what you did to Ron. He deserved what you gave him and a lot more. We aren't mad at Hermione either. In fact, we hope she isn't mad at us." Harry met the gaze of all three Weasleys.

"You all feel this way?" Fred, George, and Ginny all nodded. Harry gave them a quick smile.

"I'm sure she isn't angry with you. In fact, she's probably worried that you all hate her now." Ginny smiled too.

"I can't wait to tell her that we aren't angry. If I know Hermione, she was up all night worrying about it." Harry nodded her way before asking after Ron.

"Where is Ron? No offense, but I want him as far away as possible from Hermione." It was George that answered.

"He's hiding in the common room. Mum and Dad are coming up here later to speak with him and he's dreading it. He keeps whinging and wants everyone to feel bad for him. I think everyone is taking a lead from us though and they're ignoring him." Harry nodded.

"As long as he stays the fuck away from Hermione, I'll leave him alone. He won't get another chance to hurt her." Nobody said anything and that was perfectly fine with Harry. He didn't have a problem with the other Weasleys and he really didn't want to fight with them over their waste of space brother. Fred broke the silence this time.

"A bird came through just a few minutes ahead of you. Never seen her before. Merlin, she was fit. Long black hair, curls past her waist, bangin' body in witch's robes. Any idea who she is?" Harry couldn't help but smile. Fred was right. Hermione was gorgeous.

"It was Hermione. She had a glamour charm placed on her when she was small and it broke when your brother attacked her. Did she at least get something to eat before she went outside?" Everyone sitting around them went silent. Harry hadn't realized that everyone at the table had been listening to their conversation. Ginny finally spoke.

"I feel like there's more to this then what you're telling us." Harry nodded.

"There is, but I can't say anything yet. Apparently it's a big secret." The three Weasleys nodded, accepting straight off that they wouldn't be getting anymore answers.

Harry finished quickly and gathered a sandwich for Hermione. He went to wait by the door leading outside. It took only a couple minutes for Draco to appear next to him. The pair left the Great Hall to whispers abound, neither casting a glance behind them. Draco spoke first as soon as they reached the courtyard.

"Where is she?" Harry glanced his way.

"She has a favorite willow tree by the Black Lake. She always goes there to think when she's upset. That's where we'll find her." Draco nodded, but stopped Harry from moving forward.

"Did you see her change her clothes? That's magic that I'm not even sure adults can do. Not everyone can master nonverbal magic." Harry nodded.

"Yes, she probably didn't even realize she did it. Her magic has been bound so she's going to have to learn how to regulate it again. I have a feeling she's going to have accidental magic for a bit before she gets the hang of it." Draco nodded and they started walking again slowly. Harry decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Is there any chance you're going to back off of her?" Draco shook his head.

"Nope. I'm going to fight for her. She's the one thing I've wanted since third year. I'm tired of my father telling me what I have to do and what to believe. She's my freedom." Harry nodded his head thoughtfully. Several moments passed before he spoke again.

"I love Hermione. I would die for her. I can also see that she cares for you and that if we made her choose it would hurt her deeply. If fact, I guarantee you she wouldn't choose either of us because she wouldn't want to hurt the other. Therefore, I'm shooting you a proposition." Draco narrowed his eyes slightly, but nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not normally a person that would consider sharing a woman with another man. Especially not with you. However, I don't want to lose her. Therefore, I propose that we both date her if she'll agree. I know you offer her that intellectual stimulus that I just don't do for her. I also know that I'm better with emotions than you are. You appeal to her sneaky ambitious side and I appeal to her brash and brave side. She would never find a man to do both so I think we should try to both date her." Draco looked focused, like he was concentrating on Harry's words. He was definetely considering them. Several minutes went by before the blond spoke.

"We would all be equals in the relationship, neither one of us would come first so the other felt like he was getting screwed?" Harry nodded.

"That's how I would like it. If she only wants one of us, the one she doesn't want concedes without fight so she doesn't feel guilty." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Such a bleeding heart Gryffindor. Fine." Harry smirked at his blond companion.

"We can't be jealous of the other. The second she sees it, she'll worry that she's doing something wrong. We just both have to accept that she'll want the other for different reasons and that our time will come." Draco rolled his eyes again.

"Merlin, Potter, fine! Are we done with this ridiculously uncomfortable conversation?" Harry shook his head.

"We don't broach it today. She's had enough thrown at her today." Draco shook his head and started off at a walk.

"No shit, Potter. Are you a complete idiot thinking I didn't realize that?" Harry didn't take his words to heart. Instead, he chuckled to himself and followed after Draco in search of Hermione.

-O-

Severus couldn't stop pacing. He wanted to rage and throw things at his supposed friend, his greatest confidant, but he wasn't sure he could do that and not feel guilty later. Merlin knew he had enough guilt in his life that he didn't need anymore.

Therefore, he paced.

Albus watched him for at least ten minutes without saying a word. He seemed to be waiting for Severus to calm down, but the Slytherin knew that wasn't going to be happening any time soon. Finally, he whirled on the old man.

"I don't think I can trust you as a friend any longer, Albus. I have no choice but to trust you as a leader of the Order, but the personal trust is gone. You may have been confused as to my loyalties at first, but through the years, you were assured. You could have told me the truth, but you kept it a secret. I've treated that girl like mudblood trash as I was instructed to by you, and now she hates me for it. I will never forgive you." Albus remained silent, which is what Severus wanted since he wasn't done.

"I could maybe forgive you for what you've done to me, I'm aware that I made some of my own grief by choosing the Dark Lord, but I can't forgive you for what you did to her. You bound her magic! You know as well as I do that not only is it illegal, it's a form of slavery. Now that she's a halfblood, she could bring you up on charges from the Wizengamot! Then where would your precious Order be? Merlin, the Dark Lord is just as manipulative as you are, but at least he's honest about it." Albus nodded.

"I know she can, Severus. If she does, I won't fight the charges. I am most definetely guilty. However, did you see how she changed her clothes? I know she's especially gifted in transfiguration, but I wasn't able to do what she just did unknowingly until two years into my mastery. She is a fifth year and extraordinary. Tom will covet her and he will do everything in his power to possess her. Can you imagine what our world would be like with Hermione at the helm, that power she just displayed on accident very disciplined and looking to promote Tom's views. The results would be catastrophic." Severus finally deflated and flopped down in a chair. He buried his face in his hands and felt a lick of despair.

"She will never forgive me, Albus. I allowed you to take her and then I treated her as trash for the whole of her school career. I'm pants at emotions and I have no idea to act around her. She hates me and she has every right. Do you know how she got me to brew the paternity potion?" Severus didn't even wait for his old friend to answer.

"I traded her. I made the potion and she agreed to drop Potions after this year. What kind of fucking parent does that? Fuck, what kind of fucking teacher does that? If it had been Longbottom I could have justified it, but she's brilliant! I knew what her education meant to her and I didn't care because I was so fucking mad at the filthy dog she lives with. I saw it in her eyes that day, the hurt when she realized that I hated her so much that I didn't even want her in my class. Her eyes watered, but she lifted her chin and soldiered on. Fuck, she doesn't even realize that I wish I could just teach her and Draco, they're the only students worth the time and effort." He lifted his head as he paused.

"The only person in my life who I love enough to die or kill for and she hates me." Albus folded his hands under his chin as he spoke.

"You're wrong, Severus. She may not love you yet, but she wants to. She already respects you and thinks you're brave. If she didn't feel something positive for you, she wouldn't have stepped up to me and put me in my place like she did in the Hospital Wing. Even if it isn't at the level that you would like, she does care for you. It's up to you to make her realize the truth of words. You have to show her how you feel. It will take time, but you'll get there. Do not despair."

Severus heaved a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Losing control like a brash Gryffindor wouldn't do him any good. He raked his hand through his lank hair and sat up straight. When he spoke, his voice was once again controlled.

"I have to tell the Dark Lord. She waltzed right through the Great Hall and every child of a Death Eater saw her. They won't lie for her or for me. I have to tell him how she discovered her true parentage. If what you say about a prophecy is true, he'll want me to bring her to him so he can try to sway her to his side." Albus leaned back in his chair and twirled a strand of his beard.

"Do you think Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are the two true mates the prophecy spoke of?" Severus nodded.

"It would appear so. I know Draco has been holding a torch for the girl since she got so angry with him over Hagrid's beast in their third year and hit him. Potter has only recently become besotted, but both appear to have feelings for her. She allows their touch and seems to take comfort in it. I would say it's a safe assumption." Albus nodded absentmindedly.

"Try to conceal it from Tom if you can. The last thing I want is for Harry to have another target on his back until absolutely necessary." Severus snorted, but remained quiet. Albus suddenly smiled.

"You'll have both Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley in detention tonight. What do you plan to have them do?" Severus couldn't keep the evil grin from his features.

"I think Mr. Potter will be free to work on any homework he may have. Mr. Weasley will be dicing frog spleens. I have quite a large number that are in need of attention." Albus chuckled though he would deny it to his dying day.

"That sounds highly appropriate. Might I suggest he also spend time with Argus through his month of detentions?" Severus nodded.

"That is acceptable. He can work on numerous 'dirty' jobs throughout the school then."

It wasn't long after that that he excused himself from Albus' office. He felt decidedly better since he had let loose his frustrations on his old friend. He was by no means forgiven, and he would probably never trust him again, but Albus had always been the kind of wizard to do what needed to be done no matter the cost. The old man was decidedly more Slytherin than Gryffindor in his opinion.

He needed a plan of attack on how to broach Hermione and get her to realize that he didn't hate her, that he had loved her fiercely since the day that she was conceived. He wasn't the best in the emotions department. He sat at his desk and decided to draw up a plan, but first he needed to find those rat spleens.

Nobody touched his daughter and hurt her without Severus getting revenge, even if it was only by means of the worst detention ever.

A/N- Holy balls! Another chapter finished. I know this chapter took just a bit longer, but when they're longer like this, they do tend to take more time. Hope you all like it. Leave me a message after the beep, lemme know what ya think!

Next chapter, Snape meets with Voldemort and gives him the news, a heart to heart between father and daughter, and a frank conversation between our new trio.

Love,

Alicia


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- You guys are awesome, there's just no other way to put it. Everyone out there reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following, you're the bomb dignity. Keep it up.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the story, or any of my others, truthfully. All characters except filler characters belong to J.K.R. All hail the queen!

Chapter 10

September 7, 1995

Severus took a deep breath as he placed his mask over his face. Albus had had to lift the apparition wards on the school since the Dark Lord has demanded a meeting with him early on a Sunday morning. He usually walked to the gates and carried his mask before apparating, but with all the brats and their beady little eyes watching him, it just wasn't possible. He had already kept the Dark Lord waiting long enough.

He presses the tip of his wand to the Mark on his arm and felt the familiar pull of apparition. When he opened his eyes, he was standing at the gates of Malfoy Manor. He still sneered at the ostentatious wealth of the establishment. It was far too richly overdone if he were to offer up his opinion.

The gates opened immediately and he strode through purposefully. It wouldn't do for him to show fear or weakness now. He had to play everything just right if he were to keep his daughter safe.

As he walked up the long winding drive to the large Manor, Severus let his mind drift to the night before. He had arrived to find both Potter and Weasley waiting for him, Weasley trying to taunt the famous boy while Potter actually read his potions text. Weasley had stepped away quickly when he had heard the door bang open.

Severus had sneered at Weasley, restraining himself as best as he could, and told him that there was a station set up for him to dice rat spleens. He had grimaced, but remained silent. After Weasley was at his station, he turned to Potter who was watching with clear, unafaid eyes.

Confusion had quickly taken over his features when Severus had told him to continue to read his potions text and that he would be available for the next hour if he had any questions. Potter had readily agreed and had even asked what specific potions he would need to memorize if he wanted to become an Auror. While Severus wanted to laugh at his career choice, he didn't. A fifteen year old boy was actually looking to his future and was taking proactive steps towards accomplishing it. it was more than he could say for Draco.

Weasley had protested his detention when he saw what Potter's consisted of. Severus had happily added not only another hour, but another week. If the redheaded weasel wanted to hurt his baby girl, he was going to make sure he had the worst detention experience of anyone in the history of Hogwarts. He had already forewarned Argus and told him the crime for which he was being punished. The old caretaker made it clear that his first job around the castle would be cleaning the boys toilets on every floor with a toothbrush.

Severus was pulled out of his happy thoughts when the front door to the large Manor swung open to reveal Mipsy, the head elf for the main floor. She gave him a slight bow and pointed towards the drawing room. Even though others frowned upon him for it, he bowed back to the little elf and she gave him a small smile.

The door to the drawing room went open of it's own accord, completely soundless, and Severus didn't hesistate to enter. In his line of work, hesitation meant death. The Dark Lord was seated in an enormous throne situated in front of the fire. Nagini was wrapped around the front two legs of the seat with her large head resting on the Dark Lord's bare foot.

Lucius and Narcissa were seated in various chairs around the room, as was Thoros Nott, Corban Yaxley, and Thorfinn Rowle. Severus didn't pay them any mind before he dropped to his knees at the feet of the Dark Lord and gathered his robes in his hands so he could kiss the hem. He detested bowing to this monster, he always had, but there was nothing for it. He had a part to play and this was part of it.

"My Lord, it's been too long since I've last seen you. I've much to report." Severus felt cold fingers thread through hair like a caress. Almost a minute passed before the Dark Lord spoke.

"Rise, Severussss." He instantly went to his feet and from the expression on the snake-man's face, he looked happy.

"I've had interesting newsss of a mudblood by the name of Hermione Granger bearing the appearance of yourself and Alexandra Nott. Tell me what you know of thisss, Severusss." The Dark Lord pointed at the chair next to him and he gratefully took it. He detested groveling on the ground in front of the Dark Lord, but he loathed it even more when there were witnesses.

"The mudblood came to me, my Lord, at the end of the summer, and begged me to brew a paternity potion for her. I bartered with her and told her that I would brew it if she would drop my class at the end of the year so I wouldn't be subjected to her dirty blood any longer than necessary. She agreed, although quite reluctantly." Severus paused for just a moment. The Dark Lord thrived on anticipation and making a scene and since there was an audience, it would be prudent to heed his preferences.

"I called her to me the night of the fifth. I performed the spell and it showed that Alexandra and myself were her biological parents. I was shocked to say the least. She ran from me, rightly so since I had always treated her as the mudblood she believed herself to be. One of the Weasleys, her friend actually, caught her in the corridors and assaulted her when she turned down his advances. Young Draco found her and took her to the Hospital Wing.

When she woke up, she discovered that rather than her awful, mousy existence, she was as she should have been all along. The glamours placed upon her broke, as well as the bind put on her magic. The girl is powerful, my Lord. She performed magic that Dumbledore said he didn't accomplish until two years into his Mastery." Severus knew Dumbledore would be livid with him, but he didn't care. The old fool didn't want him to give the Dark Lord any information if he didn't have to. Severus, however, was determined to do the best he could to protect his flesh and blood and that was make her valuable in Voldemort's eyes.

The look of pure, unadulterated joy in his master's eyes made him want to vomit.

"Let me see, Severusss, let me see what my heir looks like."

There were gasps around the room, but Severus paid them no mind. He made sure that his occlumency shields were firmly in place and met the Dark Lord's eyes. He showed him everything from the reveal of the paternity potion to Hermione leaving the Hospital Wing. He edited out all the information on Potter's prophecy, but decided to show Dumbledore telling about not only his parentage but the prophecy he witnessed. When he felt the Dark Lord retreat from his mind, there was a dull ache behind his eyes.

"I see the old fool told you my secrets, Severussss. Shall we discuss them?" Severus bowed his head in deference.

"Only if you wish to, my Lord." Voldemort cackled as he sat back in his throne.

"I remember well how hard I had to work to gain your loyalty. I was so proud. Do you have any questions for your dear old dad?" The room at large gasped, but Severus acted as if they weren't there. He thought for a moment and decided to take the Dark Lord up on his offer.

"How did my mother seem so convinced that I was Tobias Snape's? Was she covering for you or did you obliviate her?" The Dark Lord set back in his seat and smiled as if he was remembering a fond memory.

"Your mother was exquisite when she was young. I met her in passing at a debutante's ball. We danced together twice and I truly felt like we were a good match. By this time, I had already heard the prophecy so I knew I needed to find a good woman and have her carry my seed. I chose your mother.

When she informed me that she was with child, I was pleased, but knew that she would be hunted by Dumbledore since he had already begun to suspect me of nefarious deeds. I took her to a muggle bar and obliviated her after I introduced her to Tobias Snape.

Once you became old enough, I tasked Lucius with making sure that you were brought into the fold as you rightly should have been. Nobody understood why I wanted you so badly, but now you do. Your daughter will bring about a new age of rule for us all." Severus was screaming on the inside about not only how his life had been miserable because of Tobias Snape, but because he refused to let Hermione lower herself to the likes of Tom Riddle. It was Lucius that interrupted his inner musing.

"My Lord, are you saying that Hermione Granger is your granddaughter?" The Dark Lord turned gleeful eyes to his largest financial supporter.

"Absolutely, Lucius. The old man had her taken from Nott Manor. He heard the same prophecy and had to know that I would eventually bring it to passss. He placed her with filthy muggles, cast glamour charms on her, and bound her magic. Just as the prophecy states, her equal has not been seen in over a century." Severus could already see the gleam in Lucius' eyes, he was already planning to write Draco and tell him to try to get on Hermione's good side. He was drawn out of his thoughts by the Dark Lord.

"Do you know who her two mates are yet? I know the girl is almost sixteen, she has to have love interests by now." This Severus refused to budge on.

"No, my Lord. She does not trust me due to my past treatment of her. I don't want to rush things by asking too soon. I want to gain her trust." The Dark Lord had a maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, yes, Severussss, gain her trust. I want you to be her most trusted confidant. Cultivate that daddy/daughter relationship. Do what you must to win her over. See if you can speak with the girl without the old fool over her shoulder. She has to be feeling quite betrayed by the fact that her best friend, a pureblood, attacked her and he is allowing him to only receive detention. Promise her that she will be treated better on our side. In fact." The Dark Lord paused for effect and looked out to the followers he had present.

"If anyone sees the youngest Weasley, the boy, he's to be killed on site. His body will be a gift for my granddaughter since he sexually assaulted her. He will serve as a warning for any who hold my granddaughter in contempt. You would do well to pass this information to your children as well." Everyone nodded quickly and Severus played his part. He bowed his head.

"Yes, my Lord, I will do my best to sway her into coming to meet with you. I will let you know as soon as she agrees." The Dark Lord pulled his thin lips back into a grin.

"You are dismissed." Severus rose once more so he could kneel and press his lips to the hem of the Dark Lord's robe.

Once he was dismissed, Severus took his leave. He didn't wait for Mipsy to open the door and let him out. He breezed through them on his own, eager to be away from the stench and blanket of evil that rested over the whole house. He reached the gates and was pleased when he didn't have to wait for them to open. Once he was free and clear of Malfoy Manor, he turned on the spot and disapparated.

Severus reappeared outside the gates of Hogwarts. He whipped out his wand and banished his cloak and mask back to his quarters to hang inconspicuously in his wardrobe. He made the trek to the castle on foot as he usually did, although with more witnesses than usual since not only was it early September, it was also during the day.

After entering the castle, Severus started for the second floor. Albus would be in his office awaiting the report of the meeting with Voldemort. He knew the old man was going to be angry, but he didn't care. The griffin leapt out of the way as he ascended the stairs to the Albus' office. Once the final door was in front of him, he didn't bother knocking. Albus would have already been notified of his presence and he would know exactly why he was there.

When he entered, Albus was already seated behind his desk. He gestured for Severus to take a seat in front of him. He waited in silence for Severus to begin and just as a little smidgen of payback for the hell Albus had brought him through the years, he made him wait a full twenty minutes. When Severus finally broke the silence, his voice was steady.

"He is pleased. He wants me to convince her to come to him. He has ordered a hit for the young Mr. Weasley for daring to touch his granddaughter and heir. He told Lucius, Narcissa, Thoros, Thorfinn, and Corban today exactly who she was. It will be only a day before the secret is out. Maybe not to the whole world, but to Slytherin House as a whole. They were ordered to pass to their children that Hermione is to be treated with the respect she is due." Albus nodded.

"Not anything I didn't expect. We must work doubly hard to keep Mr. Weasley safe from those who would harm him." Severus instantly felt a flare of fury. When he spoke his voice was more like the hiss of his father's snake.

"No, Albus, you must work harder to keep young Weasley safe. He assaulted my daughter and tried to rape her. I wouldn't piss on him if I found him on fire. I will do nothing to keep him safe. I may keep Potter safe against my will, but that's because he's an innocent in all of this, a victim of circumstance. Weasley brought guilt upon himself. I do not suffer fools. Get Minerva to watch her cub." Albus rubbed his hands down his face.

"She won't. Minerva told me the same thing this morning while you were gone. Not quite so graphically, but the message was the same. It's no secret that Hermione is her favorite student since Lily Potter, she won't betray her that way." Severus felt no pity for the old man in front of him.

"Maybe sending him home to his family would be best. All the young Slytherins will by vying for the Dark Lord's good grace by being the one to kill him." Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, then Tom will know you told me. I'll just have to do it myself." Severus nodded. Albus continued.

"Did he ask about her power? About her mates?" Severus knew this was going to cause a blow up of epic proportions.

"He did. I told him exactly how powerful she was and I told him I wasn't sure about her mates." Albus slapped the top of his desk and a wave of magic washed over him.

"You directly disobeyed me, Severus. Don't forget your promises to me and the Order." Severus stood and leaned over the desk so he could get closer.

"I told you lying about that would be a grave mistake. He wants her power. If she displays none, he'll write her off as useless. She is MY daughter and I will protect her as I see fit. If you don't like it, I'll take my promise and shove it up your arse. I don't have to be here, I could find a thousand other things I'd rather do besides teach snot-nosed brats. Before you make that decision, however, make sure that Potter and Hermione will follow you and not me." There was silence for at least five minutes as both wizards fought to gain control over their tempers. When Albus finally spoke, Severus took his seat once more.

"I will defer to you this one time in regards to what Voldemort will be thinking. She is your daughter and yours to protect. Don't think that if she tells him where to go that he'll take pity on her because she's his flesh and blood." Severus stood once more.

"Yes, you will defer to me. I know Tom Riddle far more than you think you do. I would give my life to protect Hermione. Don't act like it's some chore to give me that credit. I know you wouldn't die for her. You'd do everything you could to stick around so you could keep barking orders. If that's all, I have things to discuss with my daughter." Albus didn't say anything, but nodded his head slightly.

Severus took this as his leave and stalked from the room without a backward glance.

-O-

Hermione was enjoying the peaceful quiet of library. After the last twenty-four hours, she felt that she deserved some peace. Harry and Draco had been great. They had both supported her, silent and true, in everything she said or did. While Harry had always afforded her that luxury, it was new experience getting it from Draco, but made her smile nonetheless.

The Weasleys, aside from Ron, had surprised her the most.

*Flashback*

Hermione approached the dinner table with Harry at her side. Draco had seperated from them at the door to the Great Hall, but she had smiled at him as he had walked away. In that moment, she wished that he was a Gryffindor so they could all sit together.

She had been most impressed with how well Draco and Harry had been getting along. They didn't fight a single time, although there were plenty of snide comments between the two of them. After an hour of it, she was beginning to think that was simply how they communicated.

Everyone had been enthralled with her appearance change. She had lost count of how many people had approached her since she left the Hospital Wing to tell her how beautiful she was and ask her exactly what had happened. Case in point? She had lied.

There was no way that she could tell them that she was truly Professor Snape' s daughter, Theo Nott's sister. She couldn't tell them that there was a prophecy about her from several decades before. Therefore, she had lied. Hermione had told them that while she had no idea about why or when the glamour had been placed, Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall were currently researching it.

When she sat down for dinner, Harry to her right as always, her mood dampened slightly when Ginny took the seat on her left and the twins right in front of her. Harry felt her tense and rubbed her thigh underneath the table. Ginny, unsurprisingly, broke the silence.

"Hermione, we are so sorry for what Ron did to you. It was so wrong and we can't believe that he would make that choice. We don't understand, but we wanted to make sure that you knew we didn't agree with it. Please say you aren't mad at us over it."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Weasleys, well the ones in front of her at least, weren't angry with her and they wanted to make sure that she wasn't angry with them? It was more than she had dreamed of. Ginny and the twins had always been like siblings to her and she had been hurt when she had considered losing their friendship over this whole mess. Finally, she simply threw herself into Ginny's arms.

"How in the world could I be angry at you three? You're the brothers and sister I never had and I was scared to death that you would hate me for all this." Fred leaned forward and squeezed her hand.

"Mina, you're our sister just as Ginny is. If Ron wants to be a stupid prat, that's on him." She couldn't help but laugh. She allowed George to take her other hand before she asked the question she was dreading.

"What's Ron saying?" George sobered up, but there was still anger in his gaze.

"He's waiting upstairs for his detention with Professor Snape to start. He got a whole month. Mum and Dad came to visit and it just ended in an argument." Ginny took over, the least private of all the Weasleys.

"Dad wanted to pull him from Hogwarts, said if he wasn't mature enough to be turned down then he didn't deserve to be here. Mum threw a fit and blamed everything on you, said you had gotten what you deserved for playing games with his mind. Apparently, he told her what you had said when you turned him down the first time. She said that you deserved to be 'put in your place'." Hermione felt herself grow cold at her words. While she hadn't really expected any different, it was still a kick in the pants to hear it. She withdrew her hands, but all the Weasleys protested.

"Mina, we're on your side. So is Dad. From what I understand, Charlie and Bill are appallled at his behavior. Please don't pull away because of those two." Hermione shot all three Weasleys a grateful smile.

"Thanks, guys. You really are the best."

*End of Flashback*

Just when she fully settled into the peacefulness that the library accorded her, she was interrupted by a voice. Ronald.

"Imagine that. The perfect little bookworm in the library doing her homework. How perfect." Hermione continued reading as she didn't hear him. The last thing she needed was another altercation with the boy. Instead of taking the hint, however, he sat down at her table directly across from her.

"How's it feel knowing that you broke up five years of friendship between Harry and I? I hope he's at least getting lucky." She remained silent and focused on her book even though she couldn't truly concentrate.

"Maybe you let them gang bang you. I'm sure they'd appreciate that." Her magic was on the cusp of being out of control and she was doing her best to keep it controlled. Suddenly, a voice startled them both and Ron jumped to his feet.

"What exactly do you think you're doing with Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley? That's another week of detention. Goodbye." As soon as Ron disappeared, Hermione sighed in relief. She shot her father a grateful smile.

"Thank you. I was trying so hard to control my magic, but it was proving difficult." He gave her a soft nod in response before he looked around him. Finding nobody, he apoke.

"I need you to come with me to my have important...test results...to discuss."

Hermione realized instantly that the last thing he wanted to discuss were her test results. She gathered her things quickly and shoved them in her satchel. There were plenty of odd looks as she followed him out of the library and down into the dungeons. Instead of going to his office as she had thought, he took her to a little known portrait that served as the entrance to his quarters.

When she stepped inside, she was instantly struck by how warm and cosy the area was, so unlike what she had imagined for a cold-hearted Slytherin. One solid wall was nothing but bookshelves filled with books. A couch and a single armchair took pride of place before the fire. When she finally quit staring, she turned his way.

"What did he say?" He appeared stunned and didn't answer. She sighed.

"I assume you went and saw Voldemort and told him about me. You hardly couldn't since everyone in the school has seen that I share a striking resemblance to you." He visibly shook himself at her words.

"I told him of your power to protect you. He's ordered a hit on Weasley for daring to harm you. He also wants me to arrange a meeting between the two of you." Hermione took the information in and rolled it around. It really wasn't anything new, pretty much everything she expected.

"Did the Headmaster tell you to tell him how powerful I was?" Her father snorted.

"No, he ordered me to downplay your power and usefulness. I told him anyways because as long as you're useful, or he views you that way, you'll be safe." It was her turn to snort. She had no idea what caused her bold words, but she didn't stop herself from saying them.

"You better watch it, wrong person hears something like that, they'll mistakenly think you care." He raked a hand through his hair and guided her to the couch with his free hand. He sat next to her and turned to face her when he spoke.

"Hermione, I have loved you since the day you were conceived. I understand that it doesn't feel that way because of how I've treated you, but it's the truth. I've spied for you all these years, not Lily Potter. She's dead. I knew Dumbledore had taken you and I wanted to remain close in case you ever were told the truth and wanted a relationship with me." Hermione wanted to believe him so badly, but all she could do was remember the sneer on his face as he told her that he wanted her out of his class. She flew to her feet, suddenly unable to stay there with him alone any longer.

"You made it seem very convincing, Professor, when you bargained with me to get me out your class. I could see the hate in your eyes. There's no need to pretend now that I'm your flesh and blood. If anyone can handle the truth, it's me." He stood quick as a snitch and snagged her wrist as she turned to walk away.

"I had a part to play and as Potter's mudblood, you had your part whether you realized it or not. It was my job to hate you to keep you safe. What do you think the Dark Lord would have done if I had favored the mudblood and praised her every day for how smart she was? You would have been killed alongside me years ago. The hate you saw in my eyes that day was for Black. He does his best to turn everyone in the Order against me just because he doesn't like me. You are his pet, he calls you his poppet. I lashed out because I was angry. I had already decided to let slip to Minerva what had happened so she could protest to Albus and you would be allowed in my class."

She stood there completely still, but Severus could still see just a slight tremor of fear in her hands. He instantly felt guilty. She had just been attacked out of anger two days before. He dropped her wrist and backed away.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm only trying to implore to you how much you mean to me, how much you've meant to me since the day you were born, how much I've loved you." She pulled her wrist to her chest and massaged it lightly while she considered his words. It was over a minute before she spoke.

"You promise you regretted bargaining me out of your class?" He came forward cautiously and grasped her hand in his.

"I swear on my life. I regretted it the second I said it. I couldn't take it back, however, because I have an image to uphold. You would have told Potter and Weasley. Could you imagine it getting back to the Dark Lord that I regretted getting his enemies favorite mudblood out of my class?" She stared at their joined hands and considered his words. When she spoke, she could see the happiness radiate off his features.

"I'm giving you another chance. Don't use it and make me hate you. I wanted that paternity potion so I could find my parents in hopes that they would love me just as well as my adopted parents did. Don't disappoint me." Joy seemed to explode on his face. Before she realized exactly what was happening, he had pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. While it wasn't anywhere near the warmth of Jake Granger, it was something to work with and something to improve on. She had a feeling that it had been many years since he had hugged another human being.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and let him hold her. Her face buried in his robes and she inhaled his comfrting scent of potions. While potions weren't her passion, she still loved them and she loved the smell that they left on his robes. When they finally separated, she grinned at him.

"So what do I call you?" He reached out and fingered her curls. They were so soft and silky, so unlike his lank and lackluster locks that he grinned.

"You may call me whatever you're comfortable with be it Professor, Sir, Severus, or Dad. You choose." He grinned at her when she glanced at his fingers in her hair.

"You really are the best of us. I never would have imagined that a child from my loins would be as beautiful as you are." She settled back on the couch and pulled him down next to her. She didn't lay on him, but she leaned slightly. His arm went over the top of her across the back of the couch.

"I don't know how to be beautiful. I mean, I know I wasn't hideous before, but I also know that I wasn't a beauty queen either. The Headmaster could definetly have done better in terms of glamour charms." He chuckled softly and relished the feeling of her at his side.

"I hardly know you. Whats your favorite subject?" She smiled into his robes again.

"Transfiguration. I've loved it since day one. What would you do if you didn't have to be stuck teaching us snot-nosed brats?" He snorted softly at her words.

"I'd open my own apothecary. Good quality potions are so hard to come by." They asked only the one question of each other. Hermione decided that taking it slow would probably be their best bet.

The pair sat there for almost an hour before the bell rang for dinner. Hermione couldn't believe how quickly the day had passed. She reluctantly rose to her feet and moved forward to hug her father once more before she left. His arms went around her much easier this time.

"I won't disappoint you, Isabella." She started briefly before meeting his gaze. He smiled at her.

"Your true name is Isabella Rose Snape. Your adopted parents named you Hermione. I understand if you want me to use that name." She actually loved her real name, but she wasn't sure how she felt about changing it now.

"Let me think about it. I'll think about visiting dear grandfather as well." He kissed the top of her head and shooed her towards the door. Once she left, she skipped happily through the dungeons to dinner, uncaring of who saw her.

-O-

Draco hadn't ever been happier. While he knew he wasn't dating Hermione, he was also spending most of his free time with her and Potter. He didn't necessarily love the fact that Potter was part of the deal, but he also didn't find it near as repugnant as he normally would have.

Draco wasn't stupid. Hermione was a loving girl that couldn't stand to hurt anyone. That's what had led to her lying to the Weasel the first time he had asked her out. If she hadn't cared, she would have told the redhead to shove off and been done with it.

For this reason, Draco knew that Potter was right. If Hermione felt like she had to choose between them, she wouldn't choose either of them. While it wasn't ideal, Draco could admit that it wasn't terrible either. He had expected to feel jealous, like he was in constant competition with Potter, but he didn't feel that way at all. It was very confusing, but not something he really wanted to dwell on.

Draco watched from the Slytherin table as Hermione literally skipped into the Great Hall and sat next to Harry. In her exuberance, she leaned over and kissed his cheek before she began spooning food onto her plate. When he thought that she had forgotten about him, she raised her eyes and met his before she blew him a kiss. Even though it wasn't as good as what she had given Potter, it still made him feel better.

Dinner passed by at a relatively slow pace. Draco ate his fill of the shepherd's pie and passed on the pudding. He had quidditch try outs coming up in the next week or so and didn't want to worry about extra weight. He had just stood from his place at the table when three owls swooped in and landed on the table in front of Theo, Pansy, and Goyle. Draco had a feeling that Severus had had an audience with the Dark Lord that morning. He was slightly surprised, however, to find that he hadn't rated a letter from Lucius. It made him wonder just what his father was up to.

After leaving the table, he found his way to the entrance of the courtyard where Potter and Hermione were waiting for him. His arm slipped around her waist and she went to her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek. He still chuckled to himself when he thought about how powerful she was and how tiny her body was. It just didn't seem possible.

The trio went out to the courtyard and they settled on top of a blanket that Hermione conjured not only without words, but without a wand. Draco knew he had to be imagining things, but when he was around the other two, he felt as if his magic was stronger. Potter had confided in him that he felt the same.

The three of them laid on their backs watching the stars for the longest time. When the silence was finally broken, it was Hermione who spoke.

"I spoke with Professor Snape today. Voldemort wants me to meet with him so he can sway me to his side. He also ordered a hit out on Ron for harming the granddaughter of the Dark Lord." Harry reached out and grasped her hand.

"Dumbledore will keep him safe, don't worry about Ron." She snorted before she turned melancholy.

"Does it make me a terrible person that I didn't worry about him for a second? I can't help but feel like my parents would have been disappointed in me." Potter squeezed her hand while Draco remained silent, stroking her curls. He didn't understand why, but he had a serious obsession with her curls.

"No, it doesn't make you terrible. It makes you human." She smiled to herself and paused slightly before speaking.

"I spoke with Professor Snape. He said he loves me more than life itself. Do you think I should believe him?" Potter glanced over at him and motioned with his eyes to field this question. Draco rolled over just enough to kiss her forehead before he spoke.

"I've always known that Severus cared for me, loved me even, but I've never heard him utter the words. If he actually said those words, you can stake your life on it." She met his gaze for a few moments before she smiled.

"I told him I was going to give him a chance." Draco smiled to himself. He bet Severus wet himself at those words. Instead of voicing this, he grinned.

"I'm sure you made his day." They were quiet for quite awhile after that. The sun was almost gone when Potter broke the silence.

"'Mi, how would you feel if I told you that Draco and I both want to date you?" She sat up instantly and Draco wasn't sure that this boded well for the outcome of the conversation. Her voice was nervous.

"Won't that be weird? How would it even work?" All three of them were sitting up now and even though Draco was slightly uncomfortable, he didn't want Potter fielding the whole conversation.

"All three of us would be in a relationship. We would only be with you and you would only be with us." She gave him a guarded look and he could tell that she was just as uncomfortable as he was. Her hands knotted in her lap.

"Wouldn't you both get tired of sharing me when I have two of you available to me? It seems like a recipe to cheat if you ask me and that's the last thing I want to happen. It would be really hard to forgive either of you for cheating." Potter took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her palm.

"'Mi, Draco and I have talked. We both want this because we know if it's not both of us, it will be neither of us and we both care for you too much for that to happen. If you want only one of us, you need only say so." Draco smirked into the fading light when he saw the faint blush color her cheeks. She ran her hand through her curls.

"I am attracted to you both. I've liked Draco since second year even though he hated me and wanted me to die. I've liked you, Harry, since we rode on the hippogriff together. It was the first and only time I enjoyed flying." Draco wasn't sure what she was talking about, but he remained quiet. She suddenly spoke again.

"Won't you two get jealous? I dont want to be the cause of more arguments, I would rather just be friends if nothing else is possible." Draco shifted so he could pull her feet into his lap and she could see his eyes.

"Hermione, it's different between Potter and I now. I know we were evil little fucks to each other for the first four years of school, but we've found common ground. We've already talked about this. We aren't jealous of each other now and I really think if we were to watch each other with you now, it would just turn us on. There won't be any jealousy. If there is, I'll bow out and you can continue on your merry way with just Potter." Potter nodded.

"I'll pledge the same thing. Please consider it, Hermione." She thought about it for several minutes before she finally nodded.

"I still think it could end disastrously, but I'll consider it. I've had feelings for both of you for quite awhile and don't think I could choose." Both men leaned over and kissed the side of her head. When they pulled apart Hermione yawned. Potter chuckled before hopping to his feet.

"Come on, you're sleepy. Inside with you, before Draco and I get in trouble for carrying your sleeping body through the corridors." She giggled at his words and even Draco found himself chuckling softly.

Hermione linked arms with the both of them, something Draco had never done his whole life, and they meandered their way back inside the castle.

A/N- Praise Jesus, another chapter down! This fic is seriously consuming me right now. Good for you, bad for my laundry! Anyways, leave me your thoughts, they keep me motivated.

Next up, Umbridge strikes by means of a blood quill.

Love,

Alicia


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- Thank you so much for the support, y'all! None of my other stories received this much positive feedback so I am pumped! Y'all are the bomb. Congrats to Shola2001 on being the 200th reviewer!

Disclaimer: In my wettest dreams, I own Harry Potter and Co. Unfortunately, reality is what I live in and that means I don't own shit. The banks don't lie.

Chapter 11

September 8, 1995

Draco spread marmalade on his toast and listened to the whispers swirl around him. Everyone was talking about how attentive he had been with Hermione the last few days, but nobody seemed to have the courage to ask why. He knew that several of his friends had received post the night before, most likely with instructions from their parents to be nice to Hermione, but he had received nothing from Lucius. He couldn't help but wonder if it was for other reasons or his father was just too busy licking the feet of a madman.

His answer came just minutes later when a large eagle owl swooped down and dropped a letter on his plate. While he already knew what was in the pages, Draco knew he would have to read it for show. He knew for a fact that Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy all reported to their fathers. He fed the owl a piece of bacon before spelling the parchment open so he could read it. He was unsurprised at what he found.

Draco,

I heard the most interesting news yesterday and we need to adjust your actions in school. I was informed that Severus is the Dark Lord's son and one Hermione Granger is his daughter. While I haven't heard it yet, there is a prophecy in regards to the girl that will bring us power. I need you to do your best to get close to her, to become her friend.

The Dark Lord has ordered her pet Weasel's death as well. If you can manage it without being caught, you would have the Dark Lord's favor. He may even give you his granddaughter's hand in marriage. Severus informed us that you found her after her attack and carried her to the Hospital Wing. Keep up this good behavior and you'll have her eating out of your hand quicker than you realize. Women like to feel that they're important, so play into that.

Keep me updated,

Father

Draco shook his head and rolled the parchment back up so he could let Potter and Hermione read it. It wasn't anything the three of them weren't expecting, but he assumed they would want to know. He wasn't expecting for Theo to lean over and nudge his letter. The whole table went silent when the sandy-haired Slytherin spoke.

"Your father say the same as mine?" Draco shrugged, deciding he needed to play it close to the chest at first. These people were his friends, but Hermione had already become so important to him. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt.

"That would depend on what your father said, Theo." His friend actually met his gaze. For just a moment, it was unnerving to look Theo in the eyes and see Hermione gazing back at him. The eye color must have been a trait from their mother.

"He said that Snape is the Dark Lord's son and Granger is his daughter. She's my missing half-sister."

Whispers erupted up and down the table and Draco wasn't quite sure what to do. Should he agree with Theo, or try to deflect the notice from Hermione to Snape? Deciding that he needed to do just as his public persona would do and act like he had extra information, he nodded.

"Yes. He's also congratulating me for making sure she got to the Hospital Wing after the Weasel attacked her." Everyone leaned inward to hear every syllable. Theo didn't disappoint.

"Did he hurt her badly?" There was almost a protective gleam in Theo's eyes and Draco was reminded once again that she was his sister. He wondered if Theo would go out of his way to cultivate a relationship with her.

"He nearly raped her, told her he was going to obliviate her afterwards. He beat her up pretty good, cuts, bruises, and some internal damage. That's what caused her glamour to break." Pansy finally broke the silence by sniffing the air imperiously.

"Well she still isn't very pretty. With Professor Snape as her father, who would be?" Draco began to pick invisible lint off his robes before speaking.

"You're entitled to your opinion, Pansy, but I wouldn't broadcast them like that. She is the Dark Lord's granddaughter and he expects her to be treated with the respect she's due." Pansy sniffed again and crossed her arms over her chest, but remained silent. Draco turned his attention to the test of the table.

"If all of you were smart, you'd do as the Dark Lord asks. I've seen what he can do to those that displease him." Draco stuffed his letter in his robe pocket and his toast in his mouth before standing.

"Good day." As he walked away he thought he heard Blaise Zabini speak just loud enough that he could hear him.

"That answers the question of why he's been up Granger's arse." Draco just grinned to himself and went about his merry way. Let them think what they wanted.

-O-

Severus watched as the familiar eagle owl belonging to Lucius Malfoy swept down and dropped a letter on Draco's plate. Honestly, he was surprised that Lucius had waited this long to write his son.

Severus was on what muggles called cloud nine after his conversation with Hermione the day before. It still wasn't the strength of the love she had obviously shared with her muggle father, but it was more than he had thought to receive so early in the relationship.

While Severus could admit that he was jealous of her love for her muggle parents, he couldn't hate the people that had cared for and loved his daughter. They had shaped her into such a wonderful human being, one that knew forgiveness and love. Most would think that Severus wasn't deserving of those emotions, but Hermione didn't care what others thought. She truly was a treasure.

He couldn't help but wonder how it would go over when she realized that Draco and Potter were her two mates. She clearly thought that Divination was a wooly subject at best, she wouldn't want to base her life choices on words spoken by some forgotten Hufflepuff third year. It was undeniable, however. He could feel the power emanating off the three of them when they were together. It was quite exciting to witness, although not from a father's perspective.

As a father, the thought of Potter and Draco chasing after his baby girl scared the life out of him. He remembered what it was like to be fifteen and sixteen, and while he had been an awkward teen, he had had no problem getting what he wanted from girls and going about his merry way.

Severus didn't think for a second that Hermione would be easily swayed by pretty words, but he did know that she was sensitive and loved too easily. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt by those she cared about most. He knew that Draco had been in love with her since their third year, it had been quite obvious to those that knew the boy well, but he had also been known to spend his time with other females in his House. For as Gryffindor as it sounded, Draco made his most irrational decisions in the heat of the moment. If he were to hurt Hermione because he was angry with her and decided to keep company with Parkinson or the like, Severus would probably kill him.

Potter made him feel a bit better about the relationship. The boy was loyal to a fault, except in the instance of Weasley after he hurt Hermione. It had been no secret that Weasley and Potter had fought last year at the beginning of the tournament because the redhead had been jealous. Severus still shook his head at the Weasel's stupidity. Potter was an arrogant berk half the time, but he didn't seek attention. Not that Severus would ever say those words out loud unless he was under the threat of a wand.

While Potter had consorted with other females, it was never as flashy as what Draco did. He doubted that Hermione even knew about Potter and the other girls. His love and devotion for and to her made Severus feel better. He would never want to hurt Hermione so it would keep his cock in his pants.

Severus was drawn out of his surly parental thoughts when someone jabbed him in the ribs with a sharp elbow. He turned to glare at Dolores Umbridge, Ministry official, and complete waste of air. Without an ounce of sorrow, he flung her arm off of him before turning back to his tea. It didn't seem to phase the pink toad, however, because she leaned back over his shoulder so she could speak quietly.

"I heard an interesting piece of information from Miss Parkinson last night. Maybe you could help me separate fact from fiction." Severus did his best not to lose his stomach on his plate. Her breath was warm against his ear, ghosting across his cheek to ruffle his hair ever so slightly. He didn't move his head a centimeter when he spoke.

"What can I help you with, Madam Umbridge?" She laid a hand on his arm, right over his Dark Mark, and purred softly.

"I think we can dispense with the Madam Umbridge. Call me Dolores." There was no way in blue hell that he was calling her by her first fact that she was rubbing herself all over him like she was a cat in heat was enough to make his stomach roll. He turned his head ever so slightly.

"What do you want?" She slid her hand down his arm to stroke his wrist softly. Severus gritted his teeth so he wouldn't make a scene at the table in the Great Hall for all the students to see.

"I was told that you are actually the son of the Dark Lord, and that the lovely Miss Granger is your daughter." Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He threw her hand off of him before he met her gaze.

"You weren't calling her the lovely Miss Granger yesterday morning. A little worried, perhaps, when she tells her grandfather what a complete hag you've been to her thus far?" Her eyes gleamed in triumph.

"So it's true. Does the little wench realize just how lucky she is right now?" Severus rolled his eyes before turning back to his tea.

"Since she's my daughter, she's my concern. Have no fear, Madam Umbridge I've taken her under my wing. You would be wise to leave her alone. Drawing the attention of the Dark Lord is not always a good thing." Umbridge gave him a smile that he was sure was meant to be seductive, but turned out looking like she had stepped on a nail. Her hand came out and stroked his cheek for just a moment before he could jerk away.

"If you need anything, Severus, you know where to find me. Anything at all." He didn't even answer before she was out of her chair and flouncing away, her pink robes stuck in the crack of her arse. Severus had to fight the urge to snort at the sight.

While he hated to tell the toady woman that the students had taken to calling "Umbitch" about Hermione's true parentage, he knew it had to be done. As horrid as the official was, Dolores Umbridge did command a certain amount of power not only at Hogwarts, but in the Ministry as well. It was another added layer of protection for his daughter.

While Fudge wasn't necessarily a staunch supporter of the Dark Lord, he was easily manipulated and would serve the Dark Lord well through Dolores Umbridge. The Minister trusted her implicitly, always a bad decision when it came to snakes. They almost always had their own agenda.

Severus stood and brushed off his robes, intent on finding Albus so he could demand a change in seating in the Great Hall.

-O-

Harry felt great. Hermione was considering his and Draco's proposition of dating them both, Snape seemed certain that Hermione was safe for the time being, and nobody had tried to kill him yet this year. Granted, it was still early, but he considered it a win all the same.

He was currently on his way to Charms with Hermione and Draco. This would be their first class since Hermione had been attacked. Although the whole school had already seen her new look and made plenty of comments about it, he knew she was nervous about being in class. It was after a few minutes contemplation that he realized it was because they were seated with Ron in most of their classes.

He and Draco had quietly assured her that she wouldn't be sitting anywhere near him, and even though she vowed that she wasn't scared of the redhead, Harry knew that she was just acting tough. Her eyes would lower when his name was brought up and her hands would get the slightest tremble.

The trio didn't bother waiting in the queue outside the door. It was mostly so everyone could stand outside and talk and not officially be late if Professor Flitwick arrived before they entered. Hermione went to their usual table and since Ron wasn't there yet, Draco took his seat, both of them sitting on either side of Hermione.

Harry wasn't going to lie. Working with the two of them made him feel bloody stupid. When it had been himself and Ron, Ron had always been unacademic and made Harry feel like he was normal. Now he was paired with the top two students of the their class and it unnerved him. He knew he wasn't good at school work, and while he knew that at least Hermione would continue to help him, he felt that he needed to strive to be better so his two counterparts wouldn't leave him behind. He supposed this was his punishment for falling in love with Hermione.

When Ron walked in, he glared at Harry, Hermione, and Draco, but walked right past so he could take a seat next to Neville. Neville didn't look too thrilled with the seating arrangement, but he kept quiet. Ron really wasn't anyones favorite Gryffindor at the moment, but the lions were a fairly loyal bunch. They would allow him to sit with them for no other reason than he was also a Gryffindor.

Professor Flitwick entered and swished his wand to catch their attention. He crawled up the stack of books by the chalk board so he could face the class. Everyone quieted when they realized he was getting ready to begin.

"Today, we're beginning the fire-starting spell. The incantation is 'incendio' and the wand movements are as follows." Harry paid attention to the tiny professor's wand and did his best to mimic them. He saw Draco and Hermione both waving their wands in the same movement as Professor Flitwick's as well.

When they were released to practice the spell on their own, he stayed grouped with Hermione and Draco. It was technically a spell they could practice on their own, but his magic felt stronger when he was with the two of them.

Harry watched as Hermione waved her wand, her spell non-verbal, and a flame three meters long shot out of her wand. She instantly cancelled the spell, but Professor Flitwick rushed over, hair askew.

"Miss Granger, are you alright?" She brushed her curls back behind her shoulder and took a deep breath.

"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry for disrupting class." The tiny professor chuckled.

"You didn't disrupt class, child. I didn't hear you cast. Have you been practising non-verbal spells?" The deer in the headlights look flashed on her face, but she quickly masked it.

"Yes, sir. I find it's rather easy for me." Professor Flitwick chuckled and patted her arm.

"I can see that, dear. Just be careful." He didn't wait for an answer before he toddled off to go check on Seamus.

Draco stepped forward next and waved his wand. He whispered the spell, but produced a flame just as impressive as Hermione's. He cancelled it immediately and bowed to Harry, the smirk on his face challenging him to do just as well. Harry stepped forward and Hermione seemed to realize that he was nervous. She leaned over and gave him a side hug.

"You can do this, Harry. You're a powerful wizard, you just lack confidence." He gave her a grateful smile and let her back away. With a wave of his wand, Harry imitated Draco and whispered the incantation.

"Incendio."

A flame every bit as impressive as his two counterparts leapt from his wand and caught one of the desk chairs on fire. He quickly let the flame die while Hermione extinguished the flames on the chair. When she was finished she gave him another hug.

"See? You did perfectly fine." He gave her a grin and when he turned to Draco, the Slytherin was smirking at him.

"Decide you didn't like the chair, Potter?" Harry smirked back and clapped the blond on the shoulder.

"Nah, I thought it was far too uncomfortable. Maybe if I caught it aflame, the professor would give me a new one."

The three of them settled back in their seats so they vould watch the progress of their classmates. Ron was struggling with the spell, as was Neville. Seamus had accomplished it on his first try, but Harry attributed that to the fact that he had a certain proclivity towards pyrotechnics. Pansy and Crabbe hadn't accomplished the spell either, but Goyle and Zabini had mastered it by their third attempt.

Class ended with the assignment of an essay on the incendio spell and the pros and cons of using it in the art of potion-making.

Harry let the other two lead him to the library so they could start on their assignment. Harry would much rather have been headed out to the pitch to practice for their try outs, but he knew McGonagall had a strict rule of no time on the pitch if your school work wasn't complete.

Hermione and Draco chose the reference materials for their essays. Finding books in the library had never been his strong suit. Once he had the material in front of him, he was decent at ferreting out the information needed.

The trio worked for over an hour on their essays for Professor Flitwick. While Harry wasn't able to finish his essay completely, he only had two more paragraphs that he needed to write before he could conclude his work. Hermione and Draco had both surpassed the required length, but hadn't finished yet either.

In hindsight, Harry should have known better than to be talking about Voldemort in the corridors. Not all the Slytherins would have just let talk like that pass by without reacting. However, what caught him was worse than a Slytherin. He said what because it was a pink toad.

"I'm just saying, 'Mi, nobody is going to believe that Voldemort is back if they don't print it in the papers. Word of mouth can only do so much. You know Snuffles agrees with me." Hermione had been about to retort, telling him that the Ministry was in denial she was sure, when a throat cleared behind them.

"Why are you spreading lies, Mr. Potter? Why would you want the paper to print lies?" Harry was instantly indignant.

"It's not a lie. I saw him in that graveyard, I dueled him. People are going to be completely ignorant until it's too late and the Ministry is just standing by and letting it happen." Umbridge folded her hands in front of her waist as Draco groaned behind him. Hermione had her hand wrapped around his wrist, her nails cutting half moons into his flesh.

"I think that will be detention with me tonight, Mr. Potter, for spreading lies. Or truths that are unsubstantiated, however you like to look at it." The road didn't wait for a response before she turned on her heel and walked away. Hermione swatted his arm several times once she was sure Umbridge was gone.

"You have to be careful, Harry! Remember her speech at the Welcome Speech? She's here so the Ministry can interfere at Hogwarts. She's going to do her best to paint you as a nutter. Just let it ride and Dumbledore will take care of getting the word out."

Harry sighed. He knew she was right, but didn't want to say it. Sometimes he hated how stupid she made him feel.

The trio made their way to lunch, Hermione making clear that she wasn't angry with him anymore when she threaded her arm through his. Draco got a pout on his face, so she laughed lightly and pulled him over so she could do the same to him on her other side.

They split ways at the Great Hall, Draco going to sit with his Slytherin cronies and Hermione following after Harry so they could take their normal seats next to Ginny and the twins. Lunch was served with no extra fanfare, everyone discussing their classes and homework since it was a Monday.

Lunch was almost over when Harry heard Ron for the first time. He seemed to be conversing with Lavender of all people. Harry and Hermione had both stood and Ron had sneered in their direction.

"Aren't they cute together, Lav? Guess a pretty face is all it takes to win the heart of the Chosen One." He spoke loudly and right to Harry next.

"She won't be around long, me." Harry wanted to hex the fucking prick until he couldn't stand, but he restrained himself. He didn't want any more detentions and he didn't want to leave Hermione with only Draco to deal with that weird, off-color threat. Instead of speaking, he sneered back a sneer that Draco would have been proud of.

Hermione snagged his hand and pulled him away from the table to where Draco was waiting patiently at the entrance of the Great Hall. When they reached his side, Draco's arm went around Hermione's waist and he pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head.

"What was that about?" Harry carded his hand through her hair as Draco led them out of the Great Hall.

Harry quickly explained the odd words from Ron and that he felt like it may have been a threat. Draco's gaze darkened and his hold on Hermione tightened. Harry connected his gaze with Draco's before he turned to Hermione.

"'Mi, I know you can take care of yourself, but promise me that you'll stay with Draco while I'm in detention. You being alone in the common room where Ron could hurt you makes me nervous." She sighed and scuffed her shoe on one of the cracks in the stone of the floor. Draco tightened his arm around her waist again and she finally huffed in annoyance.

"Fine, fine, I promise."

Harry grinned at her and kissed the side of her head again.

"You two better go. You'll be late for Arithmancy." Hermione yelped, gave Harry a quick squeeze, and dragged an amused Draco down the corridor, leaving Harry to sneak onto the pitch and practice his flying.

-O-

Hermione chattered on to Draco about nothing in particular on their way to Arithmancy. They passed a group of Slytherins as they passed the charms classroom and Hermione tried to pull away from Draco's hold. Even though she believed that he liked her, she also knew that he had a reputation to uphold. However, he held fast to her. She shot him a questioning gaze as they passed the group on by.

"Don't you have a reputation to keep?" He chuckled quietly as he pulled her towards the door to Arithmancy.

"The letters showed up last night about who you really were. All the Slytherins know your parentage and I was instructed by my father to try to get in your good graces." Hermione felt her blood run cold at his words. She slowed and cast a look up at him, she could feel the betrayal on her features.

"So you're just -." Draco cut her off with a finger to her lips.

"We knew this was going to happen, Hermione. I started being nice to you in Diagon Alley. I picked you up and took you to the Hospital Wing before I knew who you were. I liked you when you were Hermione Granger, not Isabella Snape." Hermione felt herself relax against him. She should have realized this as soon as he said it, but she had liked him for so long and the thought that he was just using her to further his place with Voldemort had hurt. She was sheepish when she met his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I should have known better." He twirled one of her curls around his fingers and smiled at her.

"I understand. This is still new. We'll get there."

Draco led her to her seat between Terry Boot and Padma Patil before he left to go find his own seat. Professor Vector walked in and Hermione soon lost herself in the world of arithmantic equations. The three hours passed quickly and when class ended, Hermione could feel her belly rumbling in hunger.

Draco met her at the door and offered to carry her bag for her. She laughed at his chivalrous offer, but handed the satchel over. She caught sight of Pansy rolling her eyes in the corridor, but she tried not to let it bother her. While she hadn't had confirmation that Draco had been with Pansy, she had a feeling that he had. She made a mental note to keep an eye on the Slytherin girl after seeing the sour look on her face.

The pair made their way to dinner together, Draco delivering Hermione to the Gryffindor table. She smiled his way and settled in next to Harry. Ginny plopped down next to her just moments after Hermione sat and she sent a smile the redhead's way.

She and Ginny talked back and forth about their classes and news on their mutual friends. It was an unspoken rule that they didn't discuss Ronald or Molly and Ginny didn't seem to mind. It seemed like the Weasley children grew uncomfortable anytime the other two Weasleys were mentioned in the presence of Hermione or Harry.

Hermione had refrained from asking Ginny about her relationship with Luna. While she was curious if it was serious or just a "try something new" stage that she was working through, she didn't know, but she had kept her word to her redheaded friend and not said a word about it to anyone.

When dinner was over, Hermione rose from the table and let Harry walk her over to where Draco was waiting for them. It felt completely ridiculous to have them baby her like they were, she was a hundred times stronger now with her magic unbound, but she knew she wouldn't get a moments rest if she didn't. While she appreciated it and the care they so obviously had for her, it still annoyed her to no end. Harry gave her a smile as he handed her off.

"What are you two going to do while I serve with the toad? More library time?" Hermione shook her head.

"No, I actually want to go outside and watch the stars. Before long it will be too cold for that." Draco nodded and threw an arm over her shoulders.

"Your wish is my command." Harry chuckled and waved as he walked off.

Hermione let Draco lead her outside to the court yard. With a quick wave of his wand, he conjured a blanket and spread it out on the ground. She sat carefully, making sure that her skirt didn't rise and show more skin than she was comfortable with. Her hair spread out on the ground beneath her and Draco laid down next to her. They laid there in silence for almost ten minutes before Draco spoke.

"Who is Snuffles?" Hermione snorted at the random question. He raised up on his elbow so he could look down at her. She started to play with one of the buttons on his oxford as she spoke.

"Snuffles is the code name of Sirius Black. That way nobody knows who we're actually talking about." Draco met her eyes, completely incredulous.

"You know Sirius Black? The Azkaban escapee?" Hermione couldn't help but to laugh at him.

"He's Harry's godfather. Who do you think helped him escape from Hogwarts our third year?" Draco's mouth dropped.

"Are you serious? How'd you get him away from the dementors?" Hermione looked up into the sky.

"It all started at the beginning of the year when I couldn't decide which classes I wanted to take. Professor McGonagall petitioned the Ministry so I could use a time turner."

Hermione told him the story of how they discovered that Sirius was innocent, how he had escaped Azkaban, and how Harry and Hermione had rescued him. It took three-quarters of an hour to give him the complete story. When she finally finished, Draco grinned down at her.

"You seem like such a goody goody Gryffindor to the world." Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"That's the Slytherin subterfuge." Draco full out laughed as he laid back down.

They laid there for a couple more hours, both pointing out their favorite constellations to the other. This had always been one of her favorite past times with her mother so to do so again warmed her heart. Night had fallen when Hermione finally sat up and pushed her hair back off her face.

"Suppose we should go in and meet Harry, he said he'd be done about now." Draco nodded before standing. He held out his hand and helped her up, nudging the blanket with his magic to send it unraveling back into nothing.

Hermione hooked her arm in Draco's and they chatted about inconsequential things on the way back into the castle. They were in no hurry as they made their way to Professor Umbridge's office. The pair stood in the hallway, a respectful distance away from each other so that when Harry finished, the pink professor couldn't give them detention as well.

It was only minutes that had passed when the door opened and Harry stepped out, face pale and pain etched in his features. Uncaring of what their professor thought, Hermione rushed forward and grasped his hand with one of hers, the other going to her best friend's forehead. Harry's forehead was sweaty and the fringe of hair that brushed the top of her hand was damp. He grimaced at her touch, pulling his hand away and slightly guarding it.

Abandoning his forehead, Hermione took his hand in both of hers gently so she could see what was wrong with it. What she saw made her instantly furious.

"I must not tell lies."

Hermione could see that the words were etched deeply in his skin and the surrounding area was flaming red. Draco had stepped up behind her and he hissed at the sight of Harry's hand. His voice was rock hard.

"A blood quill. Highly illegal dark artefacts."

Hermione spun to face the professor that had just exited her office. She seemed surprised to see that Hermione and Draco were there with Harry. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hermione beat her to it.

"You made him use a blood quill?" A hand went to Professor Umbridge's chest as if she was offended.

"I'll have you know, young lady, that I have been given official dispensation from Minister Fudge to use whatever means necessary to bring order back to Hogwarts. If it weren't for your father being who he was, you would have been subjected to the same treatment after our first class." Hermione couldn't believe that she was actually saying that she could punish students like this. She took a menacing step forward and Umbridge took one right back.

"You used a fucking blood quill on my best friend." The pink professor sneered at her.

"I most certainly did. Lies deserve to be punished."

Hermione couldn't control the wave of magic that flowed through her and into the room and corridor. Her wand was still in her pocket, but Hermione felt exhilarated. The professor seemed to realize that things were about to end badly so she drew her wand and cast a shield. It didn't matter. Hermione's magic struck with a vengeance, throwing their professor across her office and against the window. It spidered behind her and broke, a jagged piece of glass cutting into her scalp.

The ministry official dropped to the ground, the blood pool beneath her growing steadily bigger as they waited for Hermione to calm herself. When she finally was able to pull in a full breath again, she apoke shakily.

"Harry, send your patronus to Professor Snape. I'm in so much trouble." Despite the pain, Harry produced his wand and gave it a flick, his stag appearing easily. After just a few moments, it cantered off through the wall. The trio waited in silence, Hermione casting the few spells she knew on Harry's hand to ease his pain. She knew that she should probably be trying to help their Defense professor, but after she hurt Harry, she could have died there on the floor and Hermione wouldn't have cared.

Only five minutes passed when her father appeared before them. His eyes took in the scene before him before he flew into action. He knelt at Umbridge's side (Hermione no longer respected her enough to give her the title professor) and began chanting a song that she had never heard. He continued that way for several minutes and Hermione was surprises to see the blood on the floor seep back into her professor's body. He cast another spell that Hermione didn't recognize before turning to the three students.

"What the bloody hell happened here?" Hermione knew that she needed to be the one to explain. Knowing that her father would be disappointed, she looked at the ground and began.

"Harry had detention with Umbridge. Draco and I were waiting for him. That horrid hag used a blood quill on him, look at his hand. She told me that he deserved it, that Fudge told her it was fine. I couldn't stop it, my magic just reacted. I didn't even have my wand. My magic went right through her shield." Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose. Hermione could see that he was frustrated. When she spoke, her voice was small.

"I'm sorry." His head snapped up and he opened his arms. She went into them without hesitation. Harry and Draco goggled at him, but he simply sneered their way.

"I'm not angry with you, sweet. I'm just trying to work out out our best plan of action." hHe tugged one of her curls as he pulled away.

"I think this is proof that these two are the mates spoken of in the prophecy. This would never have happened before." She nodded, unwilling to think of that at the moment. Her father produuced his wand and aimed it at the professor.

"I want you three to return to your dormitories immediately. Speak of this to no one. I'm going to alter her memories, seeing Potter off and then waking up on the floor. Before you go, let me see your hand, Potter."

Harry held his hand out and Severus cast several spells on it silently. It healed before their eyes and the scar faded to where you could barely see it. Once his skin was back to normal, Severus waved them off.

"Get going."

Hermione nodded and threw him one last smile before grabbing Draco and Harry's hands. Without a backward glance, she led both boys out of the Defense office and into the dark of the corridor, headed for their common rooms for the night.

A/N- Another one done, y'all. Lordy, I just can't seem to stop writing this fic! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts, reviews are love.

Next chapter, first kisses and another meeting with Voldy.

Love,

Alicia


	12. Chapter 12

A/N- You guys are so awesome. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you've given me so far. This chapter may be a little late since I had to take a break and participate in real life. My house was beyond disgusting, haha. All better now though!

Sidenote: I know this is a slow starter, that y'all are chompin' at the bit for some triad action, but I believe in building the story. We'll get there, I promise!

Disclaimer: This harebrained idea of a story may belong to me, not entirely sure it hasn't been done before, but the characters and just about everything else belong to J.K.R.

Chapter 12

September 11, 1995

Hermione felt good about her decision. She had considered the boys proposition long and hard in the days following the night they had asked her. While she still thought that it could be disastrous and ruin friendships, which scared the living fuck out of her to be honest, she realized that they were basically already dating.

The three of them did just about everything together. They sat together in classes, they worked on homework together in the library. Their evenings were spent walking around the Black Lake or star gazing in the court yard. The boys both escorted her to her classes and carried her satchel. They were both extremely affectionate. When she looked at it from an outsider's point of view, they were already dating.

After the incident with Professor Umbridge, Hermione had laid in bed in her dormitory for most of the night considering what her father had said. Did her magic lashing out at Umbridge because she had caused Harry harm mean that he was her mate? If that was the case, did that mean that Draco was also her mate since the way she felt about both of them was so different but ultimately the same?

It had taken several hours of contemplation to reach the conclusion that she suspected that they truly were her mates. As much as she detested the thought of a prophecy dictating a part of her life, she supposed there wasn't anything she could do about it. Sure, she could refuse to acknowledge both men in her life and she could deny her true heritage, but it wouldn't change the fact that those things were true.

Therefore, the next evening after dinner, Hermione had gathered Harry and Draco and taken them to her favorite willow tree out by the Black Lake and told them that she would give the triad a try. She had cautioned them both that if either of them wanted out at any time that they need only say so and there would be no hard feelings. Both Harry and Draco had both laughed at her, assured her that they were completely happy with the arrangement, and the conversation had been deemed a success.

The fact that she had already accepted their proposal didn't stop her from researching triads in the library. Draco had assured her that while not common, there was definetely enough in the history of their world that it would be accepted and not frowned upon. It was such an odd concept to her since she had been raised in the muggle world where a triad would have been considered taboo at best.

Hermione had researched for two days and found that Draco had been correct. There had been several well-known triads in the last century, though all but one of them had occurred with twins. This led her to the desire to ask Fred and George if they had ever considered it, if they would have been jealous of each other in the situation, but she had decided not to. They were highly personal questions, and while the twins were generally open about every facet of their life, she didn't want to open herself up to the teasing that would surely follow.

On the second day, Hermione had made herself have the conversation with the two boys that worried her somewhat. While they had reassured her that there would be no jealousy issues between the two of them, she was still worried about how their professors and their peers would take the information.

While Hermione hated the attention that she had gained since her glamour had been revealed, she did her best not to let it bother her. Most of the time she felt like she succeeded. However, if they were to reveal the status of their relationship, it would garner even more attention. While she knew Harry was used to the attention and probably wouldn't notice if there were any more, Draco had blood supremacists for parents and they surely wouldn't approve since she and Harry were both halfbloods.

Both boys had laughed at her again. She was just starting to get irritated with them when Draco had pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. He had explained that while his parents held pure blood above most everything else, the one thing they found more important was the Dark Lord. The fact that she was his progeny would make all their hatred for her disappear. As for Harry, he said they would be forced to accept the Chosen One because he was Hermione's other mate. It was a proven fact, after all, that triads were far more powerful than a regular wizarding couple.

The trio were currently on their way to Herbology. While Hermione excelled in the class, it wasn't a particular favorite of hers. She knew that neither Draco nor Harry enjoyed it either. While her favorite class was Transfiguration, Draco's heart lie in Potions and Harry's in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

It was quite humorous when she considered Harry's grades. While he didn't do much differently in class, he worked on homework with both Hermione and Draco every day. He was slowly gaining better habits and it was showing in his final grades. Even though Professor Snape didn't change the level of grading for Hermione and Harry, still treated them with a certain level of contempt in his class, Harry's grades had improved and Hermione attributed it to the fact that he was working harder to keep up with Hermione and Draco.

Hermione and Draco had also met for their transfiguration lesson. Harry had stayed and watched, eager for tutoring as well, but he had been more than happy to allow Draco to be her test subject. His fears had ended up being unfounded since she had managed to change Draco into a Rottweiler the very first try. After that, Harry had offered to be her test subject as well. Once she had transformed both of them several times, Hermione had been confident that she was quite adept at human transfiguration and told the boys that she would tutor them for nothing now.

Once they were in their seats, Hermione pulled her text out and began to set up her quill, ink, and parchment. When Professor Sprout wandered into the greenhouse, she announced that they would be studying fanged geraniums and their many uses.

The greying professor lectured for the whole one and a half hours, not a normal occurrence. Professor Sprout usually lectured for half the class period and then moved on to practical experience. While Hermione wasn't upset about not getting dirty, she figured that this would mean that the next lesson would be all practical.

They left class with an assignment of a drawing of the structure of the fanged geranium and a twelve inch essay on it's uses. It wouldn't take anything for Hermione to finish the essay since the professor had cited all the sources they would need in her lecture.

The trio started to make their way to Charms next. They were set to work on banishing spells this class period, something that bored Hermione to tears. She and Harry had worked on it the year prior when she had helped him master the summoning charm. Draco made clear that it was no problem for him either. This made her wonder if he practiced magic outside of Hogwarts or if he just hid how much of a swot he truly was.

The three sat together again, Neville and Dean sat with Seamus, so Ron was relegated to sit with Lavender and Parvati. Hermione wanted to throw up a little when he didn't seem too heartbroken. As much as she didn't care for the two girls, she didn't wish her attack and attempted rape on anyone.

The lecture was as thorough as always, Hermione's notes impeccable. While she usually remembered her lessons word for word, it was extremely helpful to have it all on parchment as well. When she studied for tests, a visual aid helped her concentration greatly.

The three of them took to their own corner and performed the spell correctly for Professor Flitwick. Once they had all completed the spell, they took their seats together again and began their homework from Herbology. Since there were no free periods today, Hermione was hoping to get her essay finished so she didn't have to do it tonight.

Hermione had finished all but two paragraphs of her essay when the bell rang, dismissing them from Charms class. She noticed that while Draco hadn't finished his essay either, Harry had. It wasn't often that he beat her in any of their assignments so when she mock glared at him, he laughed openly.

"Let me have my shining moment where I actually beat you two. It doesn't happen often so just let me bask in it when it does."

Hermione laughed as did Draco. Hermione could honestly say that she was impressed with both boys and their attitudes towards each other. While the snipping and snarking between the two of them remained, it seemed like it was more in good humour now rather than dislike. The pair had even went flying together the night before and faced off against each other to catch the snitch.

They had each caught the snitch several times and ribbed the other relentlessly when the other had lost. Hermione had cheered for them both and there hadn't been any bad blood between them for the whole encounter. Since they would both be facing off against each other on the pitch once again this year, Hermione felt that this was a good thing.

Hermione let both boys lead her to the Great Hall. She knew that she should be more discreet about their relationship status, that they should keep their gestures of affection more private, but both of their arms across her lower back felt right and natural.

As she was led to the table, she could hear the whispers from all four tables. As she drew closer to the Slytherin table, Hermione could actually understand the whispers.

"Well at least we know why Malfoy is spending time with her. He'll probably get his cock wet, make a good impression with the Dark Lord, and then drop her to make a proper match. She's only a half blood after all."

"He's just using her, Pansy, don't get your knickers in a twist."

The whispers went on and she could hear every single one. The words from the other houses didn't seem to hit home near as well as the ones from Slytherin, but she could say that she wasn't surprised. Draco was the one that she continuously felt like she wasn't good enough for. Neither boy seemed to realize that the words upset her. Draco took her hand and kissed her palm before Harry led her away to the lion's table.

While Harry put away two full plates of food, Hermione merely shoved hers around on her plate. By the time Harry realized that she hadn't ate anything, lunch was over. She wasn't trying to be rude when she stood abruptly, but she wanted to get the fuck out of the Great Hall and away from the judgy eyes.

"'Mi, what's wrong? Talk to me." She just shook her head and walked out. She could hear the two boys following after her, both calling her name. When she realized that they would both overtake her in mere moments, she slowed and finally stopped. Harry cupped her cheeks in his hands as he met her gaze.

"What's wrong, 'Mi?" She looked down at his chest so he wouldn't see how much the words hurt her. When she spoke, her voice trembled slightly.

"Couldn't you hear what they were saying?" Harry sighed amd began stroking her cheekbones with his thumbs.

"Hermione, you know as well as I do that nobody in that room knows the truth about anything. You shouldn't let their uneducated opinions get to you." She nodded, feeling a tiny bit better but not completely.

Hermione finally raised her eyes and watched him move in slowly. She felt no fear even though she had been worried that she would after her encounter with Ron. As Harry invaded her space, she felt her heart start to race. Her breath hitched the moment before Harry's lips touched hers.

His lips were slightly chapped from his time spent on his broom she was sure. They moved against hers in a far more experienced manner than she would have expected. His teeth nipped her bottom lip and she gasped into his mouth. He took advantage of the opportunity and his tongue snaked out so he could taste her more intimately. She couldn't help the whimper that escaped her throat when he massaged her tongue with his. His hand followed her jawline so he could cup the back of her head as he tasted her as fully as he was capable of in the corridor.

Harry finally took pity on her and released her so she could draw in a deep breath, finally fully filling her lungs. She only got a moment's reprieve because Draco stepped up and tugged her curls from behind so she would be forced to look up at him. Before he kissed her, he met her eyes.

"None of what they said is true. This is real and will be what we make it." She nodded humbly and didn't even get a chance to speak before his mouth descended on hers. Where Harry had been mostly gentle, Draco was fierce and plundered her mouth without remorse. He took what he wanted from her unrepentantly and Merlin' s saggy balls, she loved it.

Draco held the kiss far longer than Harry did and by the time he broke the kiss, she was weak in the knees and she was panting. Harry was leaned against the wall behind her, a smirk on his face and arms crossed over his chest.

"Drake was right, that was hot as fuck. My cock is so hard right now." Draco chuckled as he pressed one last kiss to her pulse point.

"I know, I thought my prick was going to explode watching you two." Hermione felt a blush color her cheeks as she turned to see that half the school was standing outside the doors to the Great Hall and had seen her kiss with Draco at the very least. She was even further mortified when she saw her father standing just outside the door and glaring at them.

Knowing that there could possibly be an imminent detention in store for all three of them, Hermione grabbed the elbows of both boys and started pulling them down the corridors towards the stairs. They were due in Defense Against the Dark Arts in less than ten minutes.

On the way through the corridors, she couldn't keep her thoughts from those kisses. While they both felt completely different, they were from different people after all, both were earth shattering in a way she couldn't explain. It also made her realize that while she had only kissed Viktor a total of three times before he had left for Bulgaria, both boys seemed entirely capable of making her want them. She realized that they needed to have a chat about their past history. While she most certainly did not want details, she did feel that they needed to start the relationship out being honest with each other.

The trio entered their Defense class with a minute to spare. They took their usual seats and pulled their generic texts from their bags. While the other classes didn't really challenge Hermione because she already knew the material or she picked it up so quickly, their Defense class left her bored to tears for a whole other reason. They were forced to copy text from their book and then write an essay about the theory. Not one time had they picked up their wand in Professor Umbridge's class.

Hermione was not only in shock when Professor Umbridge stood and informed the class that they would be learning different methods of conflict avoidance, she was embarrassed for the woman. She would be the laughingstock of Hogwarts once all the students wrote home and told their parents what a waste of time and money the class was.

Hermione wasn't sure what kind of reality Umbridge lived in, but she knew for a fact that if Death Eaters attacked, none of the methods for conflict avoidance would save her life. Hermione snorted softly under her breath, but apparently not soft enough.

"Miss Granger, do you have something to add to the lesson?" Hermione debated staying quiet, she really did, but after she had seen Harry's hand after the use of her blood quill, she couldn't stop herself. Her tone was questioning and sweet, but everyone that truly knew Hermione knew that that was what her voice sounded like when she was going to eviscerate you. Draco chuckled softly next to her; he had been on the receiving end of it several times.

"Well, I was just wondering how well this method of protection would actually work. It's a confirmed fact from the Ministry that Death Eaters have been spotted and are attacking people at random. It was reported at the Quidditch World Cup for Merlin's sake. I seriously doubt that asking them to stop nicely would get me anything but an AK."

She absolutely hated it when people referred to the Killing Curse as the AK, but it was quite popular and she was hoping for class support. Everyone around her started nodding, but Umbridge rose to her feet and came to stand in front of Hermione's desk so she could lean down into her space.

"It doesn't matter what you think, Miss Granger, since you are the student and I am the teacher. You will do as I say and without comment, or you will face the consequences." Hermione didn't know what made her say it, but she blamed it on her brash Gryffindor tendencies. She still was unsure how the Sorting Hat had said she belonged in Slytherin.

"I will gladly face any consequences you levy against me even though you asked me my opinion. Be warned, if a blood quill is involved, your dirty little secret won't be secret for long." Hermione felt Harry squeeze her hand so tightly under the table she was losing feeling in it. Professor Umbridge paled at her obvious threat and stood straight once again before backing away.

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek. Turn to page eight, class, and continue with the lesson." Hermione couldn't believe that she had gotten away with no punishment. She had already earned thirty points that day alone so a measly five point loss was nothing. Both Harry and Draco shot her reproachful looks and Hermione grimaced their way. Her actions really had been foolish.

Hermione finished her assignment before leaving class that day, as did Harry and Draco. The only good thing about taking a complete waste of time as a class, the homework never took long. As they left the classroom, Hermione held up her hands to stall their comments.

"I know, it was foolish. I'm sorry." Draco looked as if he was still trying to keep from chastising her, but Harry grinned unabashedly.

"I was going to say that was wicked! Brilliant, but scary!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh as his words brought back memories from first year.

With a final tug on both her boys, Hermione led them down the corridor so they could eat some dinner.

-O-

Draco still couldn't get his mind off that kiss. Her mouth had been so soft, pliant, and accepting. He had kissed many girls in order to hone his technique, but nobody had ever felt like Hermione had. Potter couldn't have said it any better either. Draco had been rock hard after watching the Gryffindor kiss their girlfriend. He had almost disgraced himself in his pants when he had heard her whimper into his mouth.

Draco also loved that half the school had witnessed their kiss. It was expected for her to be kissing Potter, unsurprising that she would hook up with her best friend. Draco was very insecure of the fact that while Hermione had a wonderful history with Potter, Draco's was full of hatred and hurt. It just reassured him that she wasn't just playing him to keep him quiet and happy.

Her exchange with Umbridge had scared the life out of him. How could she have been so reckless? While he knew that Hermione's power had multiplied by he didn't even know how much, she could still get detention and she could still get expelled. He knew that she was a Gryffindor and she was always going to have a reckless streak, but it was going to be the death of him.

Draco allowed her to drag him through the corridors to dinner. While he wasn't particularly hungry, he knew if he didn't eat now he would be starving later. He could always sneak into the kitchens, but as a prefect he didn't want to take a chance of getting caught and having to serve a detention.

The trio split and Draco found himself hating that he had to sit with his fellow snakes while Potter and Hermione went off by themselves. He idly wondered what would happen to him if he just sat with them out of nowhere. As soon as he sat down, Theo leaned over, the rest of the table listening in.

"Umbridge has to know Granger is the Dark Lord's heir. She totally got away with how she was speaking to the self-important bitch. We're Slytherins and we still would have gotten a detention!" Blaise wiped his mouth before speaking.

"It was still incredibly stupid. Nobody in their right mind would want Umbridge as an enemy." Draco snorted softly.

"She may be the Dark Lord's progeny, but she is still all Gryffindor. Brash and brave, that describes Hermione to a fault." The dark-skinned Slytherin waggled his eyebrows at Draco.

"We saw you snogging her after lunch. Did she taste as good as she looks?" Draco grinned at his friend, but held up his hands.

"A gentlemen never tells." Theo looked a little sick as Blaise laughed.

"You told us all about Pansy and the others." Draco smirked at his friends.

"They were not witches strong enough to blast me out of Hogwarts if she knew I was talking about our private life." While this wasn't the main reason he didn't want to talk about Hermione, it was still true enough. The time he spent with Hermione was only their's and Potter's business.

His comment seemed to quiet the table and conversation eventually turned to their classes and where everyone was at in regards to their homework. Draco had very little homework to do so it would keep until his free period tomorrow. He usually hated to procrastinate, but he just couldn't get in the mood for the library that night.

When he had finished eating, he realized that Potter and Hermione were already waiting for him at the door to the Great Hall. Potter had his arm around her shoulders possessively, but smiled when Draco approached and gave her a quick, chaste kiss to her delectable mouth. Her hand rested on his chest and when he pulled away her gaze was hazy. It took a few moments, but when her eyes cleared, she spoke.

"Can we go for a walk down by the Lake? I think we all need to talk." Draco instantly went on alert. What possibly could have happened that they needed to discuss? They had been apart for a half hour, just long enough for them to eat. His voice was calm though.

"Sure, love. Lead the way."

Hermione smiled at him and Potter and she grabbed both their hands in hers so she could start to pull them out of the castle. He was always reminded of a small child when she dragged him or Potter around by the hand. Her innocence and wide-eyed wonder at the world just made it more realistic. When they reached the Black Lake, they started walking the familiar path that who knew how many generations before them had walked. They had made it almost a quarter of the way around the lake when Hermione spoke.

"Since we've decided to make this a relationship, I think we all need to be honest with each other. My parents always told me that the most successful relationships are built on trust and honesty. After those kisses this afternoon, I feel we need to have the discussion about how experienced we are so it doesn't surprise us later." Draco should have seen this conversation coming after the things that the Slytherins were batting around at lunch.

Draco stopped the other two and waved his wand, conjuring a blanket for all three of them to sit on. Harry helped Hermione sit and they each settled on a side of her. It was more like a triangle than a line, but that was fine. This way they could see each other's face. Hermione brushed her curls behind her shoulders and folded her hands in her lap. Draco almost chuckled at the picture she made, but he managed to restrain himself.

"You don't have to say what you've done with whom, just how far you've gotten." She took a deep breath and looked down into her lap. Draco noticed she did this when she was embarrassed or ashamed.

"Aside from you two, I've snogged one boy before. Viktor. Three times. That's it." Draco felt his cock go hard at her admission. He knew she was innocent, but the fact that she hadn't shagged a world-famous quidditch star surprised the fuck out of him. She was untouched and that was a rarity in the wizarding word. It was a general rule that witches and wizards started having sex young, married young, and had babies young. Draco had nothing to hide so he went next.

"I've got nothing to hide. I lost my virginity on holiday before fourth year. I've been with Pansy, Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey. All of them several times." Her eyes widened and he regretted how blasé he sounded. Sex was obviously a big deal to her and he just made it sound like something he did every day. If he was stupid, then so was Potter because he made the same mistake.

"I lost my virginity at the beginning of fourth year. I've been with Lavender, Parvati, and Lisa Turpin." Draco wanted to grin at the incredulous look on her face. She sputtered just a tiny bit as she spoke.

"How did I not know, I never even suspected..." Harry tugged on one of her curls.

"I don't kiss and tell." She looked seriously perplexed at his words.

"I just thought you would have trusted me enough to tell me that you were seeing somebody. I wouldn't have kicked up a fuss or anything like that." Draco understood instantly. She felt betrayed in their friendship. Potter seemed to realize this at the same moment. He snagged one of her hands and held it in his large one.

"I wasn't exactly seeing them, 'Mi. It was a friends with benefits kind of deal. If it had been you would you have wanted me to keep it quiet because it was nobody's business?" Hermione truly looked to be struggling with her thoughts. Her face was drawn and she was doing her best to articulate her thoughts.

"No, I wouldn't want you to betray their trust. I still don't. I didn't expect either of you to say who you had been with. I don't know, I guess your level of sexual activity wasn't my business either, I just thought that we were close enough friends to discuss everything. Did you tell Ron?" Potter looked very uncomfortable and hurt spread further on her features.

"You did." She paused for only a moment.

"It's fine, Harry, I'm sure you were convinced I'd give you a lecture. No hard feelings. Your life is your life and you definetely don't have to answer to me."

Draco felt bad for Potter. He could see the dark-haired man's point of view, but he could also see why Hermione was hurt. She had been sure that their level of friendship was deeper than it was, and she felt betrayed by the fact that he had trusted Weasley over her, especially after how Weasley had treated Potter during the beginning of the tournament. Hermione went to her feet and pushed her curls back again.

"I need a little time, guys. I didn't think that you were both so experienced. I'm sure I won't be able to keep you happy, I have no idea what I'm doing. Sex is a big deal to me and it seems like it's not to you two. I just need to make sure that I can make it work with our two different outlooks." Draco and Potter both stood, Draco reaching out to grasp her wrist.

"Hermione, it wasn't a big deal with the other girls because we didn't care about the other girls. If we did, we'd be dating them. It is a big deal with you because we care about you deeply. Even if you never learned what to do, you would still keep us happy because it's you." Draco felt very uncomfortable saying these things, it felt far too close to putting his heart on his sleeve, but he would do whatever it took to keep Hermione in his life. She smiled at them both.

"I don't want to split up, don't worry about that, please. I just need to work this out in my mind. I'm sorry if this makes me look crazy or jealous, it's just a lot more than I imagined for both of you. We're only fifteen."

Draco considered telling her that everything seemed to happen fairly young in the wizarding world, but he decided against it. He didn't want to make her feel like she was being odd since she hadn't had sex yet. Instead, he nodded and kissed her knuckles. Potter stepped forward and hugged her. Although she returned the hug, she seemed a little stiffer than she usually was when she hugged them.

Without another word or backward glance, Hermione was gone and he was left alone with Potter in the setting sun and blanket on the ground. As if following the same train of thought Potter swiped his wand over the blanket and it disappeared.

"That looked far too cozy for two blokes who don't fancy blokes." Draco chuckled as they both started up the path back to the castle. Potter seemed really down, kicking rocks as he dragged his feet. Draco could only assume that it was because he didn't want to see Hermione in their common room now that he knew she felt betrayed. Draco was brought out of his thoughts by Potter speaking.

"I really fucked up. I could see it in her eyes that she feels betrayed. I still stand by not telling her, but I shouldn't have told Ron." Draco gave him a sideways glance.

"Why is it a big deal to tell her?" Potter snorted.

"Imagine you were in love with her but she was your friend and you truly didn't think that she liked you like that. On the off chance that she did give me a chance, why would I make her think twice by telling her how I slept with her dorm mates?"

That actually made sense. While Draco had always believed that he could get more from a girl if she was jealous, Hermione wasn't wired that way. If she had realized that he had been sleeping with other girls she would have turned her back on him quicker than a snitch.

"What made you tell the Weasel? He didn't believe you until after the first task of the Tournament. I guess I don't understand how you could tell him." Potter cast an irritated look his way.

"Didn't you tell your friends? Same concept." Draco had to give that to him.

"I think you should grovel to her. Tell her exactly what you just told me and hope she doesn't hold it against you. She already said she wasn't mad. She just thinks you didn't tell her because you thought you'd get a lecture." Potter groaned and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"I suppose you're right. Guess I'll do that tomorrow. The last thing I wanted to do is hurt her." Draco nodded as they approached the castle.

"It'll sort itself out, Potter." Potter snorted again.

"Don't you think its time you call me Harry? I call you Draco." Draco sneered at his counterpart, but his heart wasn't in it.

"I'll think about it."

They parted with a wave, Potter headed towards the stairs and Draco headed towards the dungeons.

-O-

Severus ducked his head as he walked out of the staff room. Umbridge was headed his way and the last thing he wanted was to be mauled by her again. Their second encounter had consisted of her twirling his hair around her fingers and promising to show him a randy good time. While he had fought the urge to vomit on her face, she had grinned and walked away.

This time, he pretended to be engrossed in the stack of parchment that he was carrying. It wasn't a very good ruse since he never did this any other time, but there was nothing else he could do except tell her that he found her not only extremely unattractive, but entirely repugnant on every imaginable level. Somehow, he didn't think that Albus would understand the defamation of his defense professor's character in the middle of the corridor for all the children to hear.

He couldn't get so lucky for her to pass right on by him.

"Severus, I'd like a moment to speak to you about your daughter and her attitude in my class." Severus groaned inwardly. What could she possibly have done to irrita the squat little toad? He gave her a sharp nod.

"Miss Granger snorted at me when I told the class that their assignment was over conflict avoidance. She told the whole class that Death Eaters would not be swayed by my methods and would kill her. Is she really so dim?" While Sereverus wanted to shake his head at his daughter's impetuous nature and smart mouth, he couldn't. He wanted to applaud her efforts and buy her a treat for pissing off the very bane of his existence aside from Weasley.

"Madam Umbridge, I agree with my daughter. She isn't worried about dying at the hands of a Death Eater, she's worried about not learning how to defend herself against those who would cause her harm because of her paternity. I fully agree with her opinion." That was gasoline on a fire. She sputtered and struggled to get a single word out.

"Whether you agree or not, it is not her place to tell me what to teach in my class. The next time it happens, I will be forced to give her detention." Severus stiffened at her words. There was no way in blue fucking hell that his daughter was going anywhere near Umbridge in detention. He took a menacing step forward and felt a flash of triumph when he saw fear cross her eyes.

"If you give my daughter detention, it will be with either Minerva or myself. If you even think of making use of that despicable blood quill on my daughter, I'll make sure that I will get to be the one to eviscerate you in front of the Dark Lord. Don't toy with me, Umbridge." He didn't wait around for her to confirm that she understood or not. He turned on his heel and fled to the dungeons.

Draco was walking in front of him towards the Slytherin common room and Severus couldn't help but think that it was a little early. His daughter and her two suitors had taken to spending their whole evening together, usually only making it back just before curfew.

Severus didn't want to think about the fact that those two boys were his daughter's mates. He had watched them kiss her from across the Hall and while he was thrilled that her magic was stronger because of their presence, it still made him ache inside. She was his little girl and he had just gotten her back. The last thing he wanted to do was watch her get pawed all over by Thing One and Thing Two.

These thoughts were immediately dismissed when his Mark began to burn. Severus wasted no time in gathering his cloak and mask under his arm so he could make his way to the gates. He waved his wand before leaving his room, his silvery doe exploding from the tip and prancing around him until he gave it a message to pass to the Headmaster. It was some nonsense phrase about muggle sweets, but it kept the true message unspoken.

It didn't take him very long at all to make his way to the gates. The trip off the grounds was always more hasty than the trip back onto the grounds. Once the gate had opened and the dark-haired Slytherin had passed through, his wand found his Mark and he apparated away.

Severus landed at the ever familiar gates of Malfoy Manor. He couldn't help but wonder if anyone else found the whole estate overdone or if it was just him. Either way, he didn't let these thoughts distract him as he made his way up the drive to the front door. As it always did, the door swung open to reveal Mipsy, the tiny elf that ran the first floor of the Manor. She pointed, as always, towards the drawing room and Severus wasted no time.

The Dark Lord was in the same throne as last time, Nagini lounging on the floor next to him this time. While Severus had no fear of snakes, he was a Slytherin after all, he could admit that the python freaked him the fuck out. He buried the fear deep and went to his knees in front of his father and kissed the hem of his robe. Nobody was in the drawing room but for the two of them.

"Rise, Severusss. Take a seat and speak with me about your lovely daughter." Severus rose from his knee and sat in the indicated chair.

"Peregrine Parkinson received an illuminating letter from his daughter three days past. Inside, it said that she watched my lovely granddaughter attack Dolores Umbridge for mistreating Potter. I assume you know more since she said you arrived on scene and obliviated the woman." Severus cursed inwardly. He had obliviate Umbridge so this wouldn't make it to the Dark Lord's ears. Gods damn Pansy Parkinson and her meddling. Instead of vocalizing these thoughts, he nodded.

"Yes, I received a patronus from Potter to meet them in Umbridge's office. When I got there, Umbridge was unconscious on the floor and bleeding from her head. Hermione informed me that Umbridge had forced the use of a blood quill on Potter and she couldn't control her magic. It was wandless and silent and it burst through Umbridge's shield. I healed both Potter and Umbridge and obliviated the memory from Umbridge. I couldn't take the chance that she would punish Hermione and it would get back to Dumbledore. He's under the impression that she isn't near as powerful as he originally thought since he hasn't seen any more displays from her." The Dark Lord nodded.

"Good thinking, Severusss. If Potter was injured, do you think he is one of her mates?" Severus wished he could strangle Parkinson right now. He decided he better tell the evil bastard before he heard it from Parkinson again.

"Yes, my Lord, I believe that he and Draco are both of her mates. Just today after lunch, they were both seen osculating with my daughter. For most girls, this wouldn't be an indicator, but Hermione does not give her affections freely." The Dark Lord sat back in his throne rubbing his chin.

"This could prove to be a problem, Severusss. The girl is obviously powerful and if it's true that Potter is one of her mates, she will likely kill whomever brings him harm. I doubt she could kill me, but it isn't a chance I want to take. I could order him killed by one of my Death Eaters, but she would never deign to join me then. She would do everything she had into bringing me down. While I am confident that can't happen, it seems like a lot of energy to expend for something I really don't want." Severus merely nodded. He didn't dare interrupt when the Dark Lord was ruminating about a plan. Several minutes passed before he finally spoke again.

"I see only one ssssolution, Severusss. We must convince both your daughter and Potter that they will find what they need on our side. I know Potter doesn't want war, he said as much in the graveyard. If I can get either one of them to agree to join us, our problems will be solved. I'm sure Draco would be able to help convince them that the world I want isn't nearly as bad as Dumbledore has painted it." Severus knew that a response was required.

"I agree that it would be for the best, my Lord. However, I think you should be prepared for her wanting proof. She trusts next to nobody since she has transformed and it wouldn't surprise me if she asks for an unbreakable vow. The safety of her mates will take precedence and if she doesn't feel they're safe, she'll never join you." The Dark Lord began rubbing his chin in thought. Only a minute went by before he spoke again.

"I would be willing to be vow that. Has the girl agreed to meet with me?" Severus shook his head.

"Not yet. She said she would consider it. I think if I were to tell her that you're willing to promise no harm will come to Potter she would be more amenable. She has no love for Dumbledore since she learned that he bound her magic and stole her from her family. Potter has begun to lose faith after hearing what Dumbledore did to his best friend." The Dark Lord broke out into maniacal laughter.

"The old fool has hung himself this time. Once you play your part to the fullest, she'll come to me and I'll promise her the world if only she joins me. Together, the three of us will bring my will to our world and those beyond." Severus wanted to vomit on his master's fucking bare feet, but he swallowed down the bile. His master had quieted down to chuckles.

"How has young Draco handled his time with our sweet Hermione?" Deciding that since he was one of her mates, his godson would be fairly safe, he decided to be honest.

"He seems quite smitten with her. She's perfect for him. They challenge each other and she keeps him from getting too big for his britches and he helps keep her impetuous nature under control." The Dark Lord nodded slowly seemingly deep in thought.

"What about Potter?" Severus had no idea why she kept the little wretch around, but he couldn't say that. He spoke carefully.

"I think their connection is more of an emotional one. They've been friends since their first year, they rely on each other, they trust each other." His master snorted, but said nothing about who fate had chosen for his granddaughter.

"Inform both boys that if they break her heart, I will make sure they never draw another breath."

Severus was astounded. That almost sounded like parental care and the Dark Lord didn't care about anyone but himself, Severus included. He wasn't sure what to think about the fact that the Dark Lord may actually care about his granddaughter. He was quick to nod his head.

"Consider it done, my Lord." The Dark Lord grinned, tiny pointed teeth showcased by his thin lips.

"Don't let her know you're threatening them. She'll hate both of then." Severus nodded as his master spoke again.

"You are dismissed Severussss. You've done well."

Severus rose from his chair and knelt at his father's feet again so he could kiss his robe. He stole out of the drawing room as silently as he had come and saw himself out of Malfoy Manor.

As he walked the length of the drive to the wrought iron gates, Severus considered everything that had occurred. He really hadn't wanted to divulge the level of magic that Hermione had available to her if her mates were threatened or injured, even if it was only by means of a blood quill. He had a sneaking suspicion that if it had been a fist or a curse, the force of her magic would have been far greater.

Severus sighed. There wasn't much he could do about it now. It would only be a matter of time before he would have to produce Hermione or his life would be forfeit. He would have to speak with her tomorrow.

Once he passed the boundary of the gates, Severus heaved a tired sigh before pulling out his wand and turning on the spot, disappearing with a crack onto the dark of night.

A/N- This chapter turned out a lot longer than I had originally imagined. Real life is really kicking my ass right now so thanks for being patient with me, y'all! Leave me some love and let me know what ya think.

Next chapter, the triad goes public and a meeting with Dumbledore. Probably a filler chapter, but we shall see!

Love,

Alicia


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Awesome. You are all awesome. This week has been crazy and my updates are getting a little slower. I work the next six days in a row so hang with me!

Disclaimer: I don't own a durn thing. All my characters belong to the great J.K.R. and I haven't made a single knut from any of my writing.

Chapter 13

September 12, 1995

Harry scuffed his shoes on the scarlet carpet as he waited for Hermione to appear in the common room. He had decided to take Draco's advice and grovel to his best friend. When he really thought about it, he could see why she felt so betrayed. He had told her that he didn't tell her because a gentlemen didn't kiss and and tell, but he had given Ron every detail. After Ron's obvious lack of faith in Harry, he could see how it would hurt her feelings.

He was startled out of his thoughts by footsteps coming down the stairs. Harry glanced up to see Hermione making her way down the stairs that led to her dormitory, head bent as if she was watching where she placed her feet. He didn't know what that was all about, but if things went well he would ask her.

Harry had noticed that while the old Hermione had always worn her hair up because it was out of control and frizzy, the new Hermione almost always wore her hair down. He could only assume that it was because her hair now fell in soft curls down past her waist, frizziness gone forever.

When the beautiful Gryffindor realized that she had an audience, her head came up and she met Harry's eyes. He felt like he could drown in the brilliant blue orbs staring back at him. She gave him a soft smile and started to cross the common room so she could stand beside him.

"Good morning, Harry." He took her hand so he could kiss her palm.

"Morning, Hermione." She gestured for the portrait hole with her eyes. While Harry really didn't want an audience while he apologized, he really didn't want to do it while walking through the corridors. However, he relented since Hermione was the wronged party and she so obviously wanted to leave.

Harry followed her out of the common room and through the corridors until they reached the fifth floor. It took him the previous two floors to gather his nerve. Finally, he grabbed her elbow and pulled her to a halt so he could face her. He tried to sound confident and sure of himself, but knew he was failing miserably.

"I'm so sorry, 'Mi. I never meant to hurt you and I hate that you feel betrayed." She shook her head, casting her glance downwards.

"No, Harry, I had no right to get angry. You are in no way obligated to tell me who you sleep with, nor do I have the right to make you feel guilty for not wanting to share that with me." Harry crooked one side of his mouth up.

"Hermione, we both know that you're full of shite. I didn't tell you for a very specific reason, one that makes me look pretty pathetic, but I told Ron because I was stupid. I should have known you would feel betrayed when you found out he warranted the information but you didn't." Hermione sighed before she met his gaze.

"Why didn't you want to tell me?" Harry raked a hand through his messy hair before rubbing the back of his neck.

"I already knew that I liked you and I knew that if I told you all about my hook ups any chance I had with you would be gone since I know you're not that kind of girl." Hermione sighed. It was only a moment later that she went into his arms, her head resting on his chest and her arms hooked around his waist.

"I forgive you, Harry. Thank you for telling me, now I don't feel completely pathetic about still wanting you while you were dreaming about Cho." Harry made a moue of distaste.

"Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking." She chuckled before she laced their fingers together after stepping back. Harry took a chance and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before they started through the corridors again. They had made it to the second floor when Harry spoke again.

"Why were you looking at your feet so intently when you came down from your dormitory?" Hermione gave him a sheepish look.

"I think one of the girls messed with my shoes. They feel tighter than usual." Harry felt a flare of annoyance. Why did it not surprise him that Lavender or Parvati would mess with the girl he was actually interested in? He shook his head in irritation.

"Did you fix them?" She nodded.

"I did it on the stairs down to the sixth floor." Harry smirked and shook his head. He should have known that Hermione wouldn't need her wand for a simple spell to fix her shoes.

The pair made their way to the Great Hall where Harry saw Hermione throw a smile Draco's way at the Slytherin table. She took her usual seat next to Ginny so Harry followed her lead, sitting between Hermione and Dean. Food had already appeared on the table so Harry spooned himself up a heaping portion of pancakes and sausage. Hermione shook her head in amusement at the sheer amount of food on his plate. She had never been much of an eater, picking at most meals because she was too caught up in a book.

The meal passed without incident. Hermione finished her porridge and fruit, Harry put away two plates of pancakes. When the bell rang for the students to head to class, Hermione stood and Harry watched as she skipped across the hall to fling herself into Draco's arms in exuberance. Harry was still confounded at the fact that he didn't feel jealous of the attention that Hermione showered on Draco. It also didn't appear that Draco was jealous of Hermione's copious amount of attention for himself either. When Harry reached their sides, Draco flashed him a grin.

"Alright there, Harry?" Harry couldn't believe that he had actually gotten the cold fish Draco Malfoy to address him by first name. He supposed that he shouldn't be surprised, it was only a matter of time after all, but he was nonetheless. Draco seemed entirely aware of Harry's thoughts and smirked at him openly.

"Ready for t-rig?" Hermione burst out in laughter at his words. Harry just shook his head at the epic fail.

"You did not just call my favorite subject t-rig. That sounds like a gangster name." Harry snorted but Draco looked confused.

"What's a gangster name?" Now Hermione was laughing. Draco was just starting to look irritated when Hermione spoke.

"It's a muggle thing. One of these days, Harry and I will show you a gangster." Draco raised an eyebrow at her before he nodded.

"You two must teach me all about the muggle world. I don't like not knowing the inside joke." Hermione poked his ribs a few times before she relented with a smile.

"Alright, we'll teach you but for a price." Harry burst into laughter.

"There's that Slytherin you're so sure isn't there." Hermione poked his ribs this time as she stuck out her tongue.

"Pot meet kettle." Draco grinned at their antics before he spoke.

"What do you want?" Hermione turned serious.

"Teach us wizard customs. We both grew up muggle, we're ignorant about the wizarding way of life. The Weasleys are the only example we've had and I've heard they're extremely unconventional." Draco actually snorted, a most indelicate sound.

"You could say that again. I know you all thought I was just being a prick because the Weasleys were poor, but they really are quite unconventional. We'll use that word if you like." Harry and Hermione both narrowed their eyes at him and Draco sighed. Harry couldn't let the blond's words be forgotten however.

"Where the fuck did you get t-rig?" Draco blushed just a tiny bit.

"Blaise and I bet on how many pancakes Goyle could eat in the span of one meal. I lost and as a result, I have to call that class t-rig for the rest of the day." Hermione burst out in laughter once more.

"Boys will be boys, as they say."

The trio entered Transfiguration and Harry confessed himself happy that he didn't have to take the chance of McGonagall hearing him call her class t-rig.

The class continued with animal transfiguration. They were set to change a kitten into a fox, not a very difficult transformation if you knew what you were doing. Harry doubted that he would have been able to accomplish it if he hadn't had two tutoring sessions on the subject with Hermione and Draco.

Harry completed the spell on his fourth try, far better than anyone else in class aside from Hermione. Draco tied with him, but he was still proud of himself.

Once class was dismissed, the three of them left and headed for the library. While they certainly weren't behind on homework, Hermione was anal about doing her homework every day. He suspected that she was O.C.D., but he couldn't know for sure. Draco usually didn't seem to mind the trips to the library so Harry endured and congratulated himself when he got his graded essays back.

The trio worked amicably in the silence of the library. Harry was pretty proud of the fact that he actually finished the essay before lunch. He decided that while he was there, he would see if he could find any books on prophecies. While he did indeed have Divination after lunch, Harry really just wanted to see if he could figure out any alternate outcomes to the prophecies regarding himself, Hermione, and Draco. Hermione snorted in disdain at his book choice, but he let it roll of his back. Her opinion on divination had been quite clear for years.

Harry, Hermione, and Draco all adjourned to the Great Hall for lunch. They chatted about nothing in particular as they roamed the corridors. When they finally entered the Great Hall, the whispers started again as usual. Harry could tell that they still bothered Hermione a little. He supposed that he couldn't blame her. Nobody wanted their peers to think that their boyfriend was only with them because of who her father was.

Draco split ways and Harry couldn't help but think that he looked dejected as he took his seat next to Blaise Zabini. Harry watched in amusement as Pansy slid into the seat next to him and began petting his arm. Hermione seemed distracted by serving herself lunch and Harry could only hope that Draco got the pug off his arm before Hermione noticed.

Draco did indeed remove Pansy from his arm. He scowled and sneered at her and delivered what seemed to be a rather graphic dressing down in front of the whole table. Harry wanted to chuckle, but he didnt dare. The inside would have to work. He had never liked Pansy and not because she had been mean to him. She had always treated Hermione the worst of himself, Ron, and Hermione. He had let Hermione cry into his robes several times after hurtful comments from Pansy Parkinson.

Lunch was almost over when an owl soared down from the windows and dropped a small roll of parchment in front of Hermione. Harry watched as she fed the owl a piece of chicken and slowly unrolled the letter. Her eyes scanned it quickly before she handed it to Harry.

Miss Granger,

Yourself, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Malfoy are requested to meet in my office tonight directly after dinner. We have much to discuss.

Headmaster Dumbledore

Harry couldn't help but dread the things they needed to discuss. No doubt they dealt with Voldemort. Not to mention, he wasn't entirely sure that Hermione was going to play nice with the Headmaster. She was still livid that he had bound her magic. While she understood the reasoning behind it, as the wronged individual in this instance, Harry didn't blame her if she decided to hold a grudge.

He looked up from the parchment so he could gauge Hermione's reaction. Her eyes were filled with apprehension. Harry took her hand in his and stood, helping her up next.

"We better go show Draco." The pair gave their friends a hurried wave before making their way to the Slytherin table.

-O-

Draco watched apprehensively as Hermione handed the parchment for Harry to read. Moments like this made him detest having to sit away from the other two parts of their triad. While he wasn't jealous of Harry spending time with Hermione, he felt left out when shite like this seemed to happen.

When he realized that they had risen from their table and were headed in his direction, he hurriedly wiped his mouth and stood, casting his friends one last look before he took off. Nobody said a word when they met in the middle of the Great Hall, but they turned amd exited so they could find somewhere private to talk.

Harry led the way and he seemed to have a destination in mind. Hermione handed him the parchment to read while they walked after lacing her fingers with his. Harry swiped his wand across an empty expanse of stone on the far wall of an unused corridor, exposing a passage when the wall seemed to melt before them. They entered the passage, the wall sconces leaping to light. Hermione spoke first.

"I think it's about Voldemort. I also have an idea of what specifically." Draco turned her way, completely unsurprised that she already had a theory. Harry remained silent so Draco gestured for her to continue. She shoved her lovely curls back behind her shoulders and started.

"I think that our kisses that were of a fairly public variety were made known to Voldemort. It wouldn't surprise me if he knows that you two are my mates. I have a feeling it's a discussion about being protected or something along those lines." Harry looked skeptical.

"You really think one of the students would directly report to Voldemort that we kissed?" Draco gave him a sharp look.

"Don't underestimate them. I know for a fact that Pansy, Goyle, and sometimes Theo report information to their fathers. If they told their fathers, they would go directly to the Dark Lord. In turn, he would call Severus, who would be unable to lie by that point." Hermione scrubbed her hands down her face.

"Did either of those three people see us kiss?" Draco snorted.

"I know for a fact the whole table saw it. It was all they could talk about at breakfast." Harry seemed to accept it the fastest, probably because of all the bullshite that had happened to him through the years. With years of practice at accepting shitty hands of fate, he had become a pro.

"So Voldemort knows that we're all together. Knowing that Hermione is his granddaughter and she has now found her mates puts the ball in his court so to speak. I'm guessing that's what the conversation will be about, especially if Snape went and saw Voldy last night." While Draco cringed at his name choice, Hermione giggled. He could only shake his head at the Gryffindors; they had no sense of self-preservation.

Hermione seemed to be struggling the most with the direction the conversation had turned. He knew that he usually let Harry take the lead on comforting her, but he felt that he needed to step up his game. He wrapped an arm around her lower back so he could pull her in closer. His fingers found her chin and he tilted it up so he could stare into her eyes.

"It's going to work out, Princess. You're the strongest witch I know and together, we'll get through this." She gave him a sharp nod and he could see that she was burying her fear. Knowing that she needed to focus on something else, Draco held fast to her chin and lowered his mouth to hers.

Draco had been told that he was an aggressive lover. He knew it was the truth. He loved to be in control and while he got the hint that Harry was the same way, Draco still felt like he was much more dominant. He also suspected that Hermione would love for himself and Harry to take control of their encounters for the simple fact that she had been in control of every other aspect of her life until she agreed to be theirs. Now, he was determined that he and Potter could alleviate the stress of just one aspect of her life.

Her mouth was fire against his, her lips soft and warm, her mouth hot and inviting. His tongue found hers and while she tried to take control of the kiss, Draco tongue-fucked her into submission. It was surprisingly easier than he had suspected it would be. He heard Harry groan behind them, fully aware of exactly what Draco was doing to her even if she didn't.

Hermione whimpered into his mouth and he knew that he had achieved his goal. While some people considered his method during intimacy to be harsh and controlling, after the other girls had experienced it, they couldn't get enough.

Harry moved closer to Hermione from behind. Draco beckoned him forward, knowing exactly what the Gryffindor wanted. Draco was completely on board. Besides, when they took their relationship to a new level, it would be with all three of them present. There was no room for embarrassment at people seeing you when you were in a triad.

Harry wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and began to lave her pulse point. Their tiny Gryffindor moaned in Draco's mouth at the contact and he could only smirk inwardly. He was aware of Harry's mouth moving expertly against the tender skin of her neck, ear, and jaw; Draco now had her shoved against Harry's hard chest and he was grinding his own erection into her belly. He could tell the moment when she realized just what was poking her in the belly and back; she gasped slightly and he simply swallowed it.

When Draco finally gentled the kiss, he could see that Harry had left a lovely little bruise on her neck just below her ear. The mark thrilled him; even though he hadn't put it there, she was marked as theirs. Stupid as she would have found the mentality, Draco just accepted it. Harry seemed wildly pleased with himself as well.

Hermione wasn't speaking she seemed to be enamored with running her fingers over her kiss-swollen lips. Harry and Draco smirked at each other as she seemed to come back to her senses. When she finally looked up and noticed them watching her, she scowled.

"You two ganged up on me. Not fair." Harry chuckled as he tried to set her hair to rights.

"Life isn't fair, 'Mi. You should get used to that. It will happen again." Despite the fact that she was trying to be angry, Hermione smiled. Draco stepped forward with her satchel in his hand.

"We need to go. Ancient Runes in ten and you know Professor Babbling doesn't like me." She chuckled as she took her bag in hand. She turned and pressed a quick kiss to Harry's jaw before she took Draco's hand and started to pull him towards the door. He just shook his head. Nothing came between Hermione and her classes.

They made their way to Ancient Runes quickly since it was still three floors away. The pair arrived just in the knick of time and were forced to sit separately. Hermione took the seat by Ernie McMillan and Draco was forced to sit by Lisa Turpin. He remembered Harry's confession from the night before and he hoped that Hermione wouldn't think that he was flirting with the blond Ravenclaw. Hermione seemed oblivious to the fact that he had sat next to her and for that he was grateful.

The class passed quickly despite the fact that it was three hours long. Draco enjoyed Ancient Runes, admittedly not as much as Potions, but he did enjoy a good long translation. It gave him a sense of accomplishment that he didn't seem to garner from Arithmancy or the like. He finished his assignment with only a few minutes to spare. Since he had finished, Professor Babbling had seen fit to not assign homework for which Draco was also grateful.

Hermione had turned her assignment in long before him, so he knew that she would be ready to go as soon as the bell rang. He really hoped she hadn't been sitting there worrying and overthinking the meeting with the Headmaster. When the bell rang, Draco sedately rose from his chair and threw his bag over his shoulder. Hsrmione was doing the same across the room.

They exited the class together and Draco was considering his thoughts from lunch. He hated sitting separately from Hermione and Harry. He wondered what the worst thing would be that could happen to him if he sat with them?

The pair were silent as they travelled the corridors and Draco had decided to go for it. Without a word to Hermione, he took her hand and pulled her into the Great Hall. The ever-present whispers went up around them and Draco couldn't help but to roll his eyes. Some things would never change at Hogwarts.

Harry was already present at the table so when Hermione sat, he leaned over quickly and kissed the side of her head. Draco knew this was the moment of truth. Grasping for his inner Gryffindor, he flipped his leg over the bench next to Hermione and sat down, letting his bag fall to the floor behind him.

The whole hall went silent. Draco fought the blush that was threatening to creep up from his chest. Sure, he loved attention, but not like this. The Gryffindors all stared, some with confused looks on their faces, some with angry ones. Draco wasn't surprised either way. Finally, the muggleborn with the dark skin spoke.

"What the bloody fuck do you think you're doing over here, Malfoy? The dirty snakes sit on the other side of the room." Draco was just about to resort to insulting the boy back when Hermione snapped her gaze to Thomas (Draco thought that was who he was).

"Leave him alone. He hasn't done shite to you this year and you will be civil to him unless you want to answer to me." Fear crossed Thomas' features and Draco fought the urge to chuckle. The whole House apparently knew of Hermione's fiery temper and were scared to death of her. Just when Thomas had seemed cowed just enough, Weasley walked in, saw Draco's trademark blond hair, and blew up.

"What in the bloody fuck does he think he's doing sitting at our table?! He is NOT a Gryffindor, he's too much of a bloody coward for the lion's pride. Malfoy, get the fuck up and go back to your bloody snakes." Draco could see that McGonagall was now on her feet and starting in their direction. Weasley drew his wand and took a menacing step forward towards Draco.

This was the wrong thing to do. Hermione flew to her feet faster than he had ever seen her move and stepped in front of Draco. There was no wand in her hand, but the power emanating from her was enormous. Weasley stopped cold at the sheer amount of magic surrounding Hermione. While Weasley seemed uncomfortable, it felt like a loving caress to him. He wondered if Harry felt the same.

"You will not hurt him, you pathetic excuse of a wizard. If you come near him, or Harry, you will not like the outcome." Weasley sneered and took a daring step forward. Hermione's magic hit him like a hurricane wind and he was blown backwards into the Ravenclaw table. Draco knew he needed to de-escalate the situation.

He rose to his feet and placed his hands on the tops of Hermione's shoulders while Harry stood in front of her, hands cupping her cheeks. Draco rubbed softly, massaging the tension from her muscles. The amount of power that she was putting out was immense and Draco could feel himself soaking it in. For a moment, he even thought he could feel Harry's magic within him. He wondered if they could feel him. Professor McGonagall had finally reached their sides and took in the situation.

"Somebody tell me what happened here." The female Weasley volunteered.

She explained exactly what had happened to her Head of House, and Draco was surprised that she didn't seem the least bit angry that he was there. When she finished, the stern older woman turned back to the four of them since Weasley had once again joined them.

"Mr. Weasley, that will be thirty points from Gryffindor for cursing and making a scene. Go find a seat down the table and be quiet. I don't want to see you speak again during the meal." She turned to Hermione and she could see that there was something more going on.

"Mr. Malfoy, twenty points to Slytherin for taking inter-house unity into your own hands and being brave enough to sit with my fierce cubs." Draco was surprised. He had been sure he would receive detention for breaching the lion's table, but instead he had gained points. That had been unexpected.

"Furthermore, I would like you three to join me after dinner. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would like to hear of your bravery." Draco had to give it to the old witch. She was shrewd. In one sentence, she had just covered for their meeting with the Headmaster in front of all their friends.

Weasley slunk down the table sit with a fourth year he was apparently friendly with. The trio took their seats again and Draco dished himself up a plate so he could eat before they had to go meet with Dumbledore. Hermione was picking at her food while Harry wolfed down his plate next to her. Draco laid a hand between her shoulders.

"You really should try to eat. McGonagall and Dumbledore are going to wear us out." Hermione giggled.

"It's Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore." Their conversation was put on hold when George spoke.

"What makes you think you can tell our little sister what to do?" Draco straightened and readied himself for another argument. Hermione slammed her fork down and glared at the twins.

"He's my boyfriend, he can encourage me to eat as long as he doesn't nag me." Fred sputtered next to his twin.

"I thought you were dating Harry." Hermione had an impassive look on her face and he realized she was going to do it. Before he could stop her, she had already said it.

"I am dating Harry. We've formed a triad and trust me, our magic clearly approves." It was no secret in the wizarding world that triads were far more powerful because your magic became linked. Most people just couldn't get past the jealousy issues. Draco thanked Merlin that he and Harry didn't seem to have those problems.

The table had gone silent around them and while everyone else looked surprised and confused, Weaselette looked victorious. She stood and waved at the Ravenclaw table. When she turned back and spoke, her tone was triumphant.

"I knew it, I knew you three would make it work. I'm so happy for you." While everyone else was still silent in their shock, Ginny wrapped an arm around the blond Ravenclaw's waist after she had approached.

"If Hermione is coming clean, so am I. Luna and I have been seeing each other since the end of last year. We're very happy together." Draco just sat back and watched the Gryffindor's finally start reacting around him. While it was amusing to watch, it was also tiring.

Harry looked completely surprised, but was congratulating the two girls anyways. Hermione had dragged the two girls into a hug and Draco got the odd feeling that she had already known their secret. The twins were still sitting there silent, quite uncharacteristic of them. He saw no disapproval in their eyes, though that might change once they absorbed what they had just been told. The Weasel had his hand clenched around his fork so hard that Draco was sure he was going to break it. He remained silent, however, the threat of McGonagall's anger too much for him to disobey in plain sight.

It was when people began leaving the Gryffindor table to go to the other tables and spread the word that Draco knew it was time for them to bail. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder and motioned towards the door with his eyes. She nodded and did the same to Harry.

The three of them gathered their belongings and left the Great Hall to the whispers and stares all around them. He knew that breakfast at the Slytherin table was going to be uncomfortable at best. While he wasn't embarrassed of either Gryffindor, he was afraid that his housemates would see him forming a triad with them as a betrayal of sorts.

Once they were on their way to the Headmaster's office, Hermione gripped her hair in her hands and turned towards Draco.

"I am so sorry, I shouldn't have made our lives so public. They'll give Harry and I some shite, but your friends won't leave you alone. Please forgive me." Even though he had just been thinking the same thing, he realized he wasn't mad at her. The thought that she was proud enough of the fact that they were all together made him happy.

"I'm not angry, Princess. I'm thrilled you're not ashamed of being with me, not ashamed of being with both of us together." She threw herself into his arms.

"Of course I'm not ashamed of you or the both of you together. I've been in love with you both for a long while. That wouldn't have happened if I was ashamed of you." He kissed her forehead before placing her back on her feet and beckoning for her to follow Harry.

Harry threaded his fingers with hers and led them to the Headmaster's office. When they reached the griffin, it didn't require a password, it simply hurried to jump out of their way as they entered. They followed the narrow steps to the door that actually led to Professor Dumbledore's office. Draco had never been there before, but he suspected that the other two of their trio had been.

The door also opened silently to reveal that Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were already in attendance. Draco wasn't aware that McGonagall knew anything about what was going on, but he had assumed that she was a part of the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore gestured for the three of them to take their seats on the couch facing his desk. Hermione took the seat in the middle and both Harry and Draco sat to either side of her. Dumbledore gave them a twinkly smile before beginning.

"We must discuss our plan of action in terms of bringing about Voldemort' s demise. Severus was called to Tom's side last night and he learned some interesting information" The Headmaster steepled his hands under his chin.

"Before we go further, I want you to know that Professor McGonagall has been made aware of the whole situation. Merlin forbid it, but if anything ever happened to me, I wanted you to have another contact in the Order that knew everything." Draco didn't know how to feel about that, but he supposed that he understood. No matter what Severus said or did, there would always be those in the Order that didn't trust him because of the Mark on his arm.

"You three must be careful. Miss Parkinson followed you to Professor Umbridge's office and witnessed the whole altercation between Hermione and the defense professor. She knew that Severus had been summoned and that he obliviated her memories of the ordeal. Severus informed me that he had removed her memories to conceal the level of power you possess, Hermione, but Miss Parkinson wrote her father about it and he instantly reported it to Tom." Draco was going to make Pansy's life a living hell, the nosy little bitch. She just couldn't stand the thought of Draco with someone that wasn't her and she was forgetting herself. Severus stood before Draco could ruminate inwardly any further.

"The Dark Lord called me to his side last night. He had rightly guessed that Potter is one of your mates. Since your kisses yesterday were of a public nature, I had to tell him that Draco was a mate as well or endanger my own life.

The Dark Lord was almost giddy at the thought that Draco was your mate. Less so about Potter. He has devised a plan that he hopes will make everyone happy." Severus paused and Draco had a bad feeling about what was to come next. The older Slytherin sighed.

"The Dark Lord wants Hermione on his side more than he wants to kill Potter. He is determined that she is the pathway to a world that he rules as king. To try to dissuade him from that idea would be madness. He has asked that I bring Hermione to see him so he can speak with her. He has offered to put out a blanket order that Potter and Draco will not be harmed by himself or by his orders in exchange for all of yours allegiance. He has even said he would make the Unbreakable Vow, but I fear what he would ask you for in return."

Draco scrubbed his hand down his face before letting his face fall to the impassive mask he relied on daily. While this was a far from ideal situation, there were positives. The Dark Lord wanted Hermione more than he wanted to kill Potter. That meant that he would do just about anything to assure their trio's safety. This would come at the cost of siding with a megalomania madman, however. Hermione was a step ahead of him though.

"Obviously you have a plan. I don't know if I'll agree to follow it, but I'd like to hear it." Severus deferred to Dumbledore by a nod of his head. Dumbledore ran his fingers through his beard before he began.

"There are things you don't know about Tom Riddle. I need you all to take lessons with Severus before I go any further down that road. The information must be kept safe and while you three would be considered allies of Tom, I don't think that would spare you if he decided to look into your minds." The old man sighed.

"For now, I propose that Hermione meet with Tom and agree to his terms. Do whatever you need to get by until you've learned enough occlumentcy for me to share the means in which we will finish Tom Riddle forever. I know being in his presence and playing along with his games will be most abhorrent, but it is the only option that Severus and I can come up with that doesn't end with his violent death." Draco saw Hermione flick her eyes towards her father, apprehension and fear shining for all to see.

Hermione turned to meet Draco's eyes. He gave her an imperceptible nod. He didn't see any other option either and he could only hope that Dumbledore truly did have a way to kill off the snake-faced bastard. In turn, she turned to meet Harry's gaze and Draco could already see his answer in his eyes. Nobody could say that Harry wasn't brave to a fault. He was still surprised that the Sorting Hat had considered putting the man in Slytherin. He spoke though, which Draco hadn't been expecting.

"Are you certain that this secret of yours will kill Voldemort? I don't want to take the chance that this is a trap for Hermione if the possibility isn't real." Dumbledore nodded.

"I swear on my magic, Harry, that Tom Riddle will not die until we accomplish the task this secret holds." Harry nodded and turned to Hermione.

"I'm in. I say we do it. It's going to be terrible, faking to like that sadistic shite, but if Professor Snape can pretend, so can we." Severus snorted at his words, but said nothing. Dumbledore smiled again and it was like they hadn't just been discussing a major turn of events in their lives.

"Wonderful. Severus will get with you about the time and date of your first lesson in occlumency. I have a feeling we'll have to contend with Voldemort meeting Hermione first though."

The trio nodded as they wanted to be there any longer than necessary. Just as they were about to file out of the door, Severus spoke.

"Hermione, may I have a moment?" She turned and nodded bedore turning to Draco and Harry.

"I'll meet you in that passageway from earlier. I won't be long." Draco and Harry both nodded before continuing out the door.

-O-

Severus thought that she had taken the news beautifully, true grace showing through in her bravery and willingness to face her fears. He adored that his daughter was such a wonderful person.

He had had no idea that Minerva would be attending their meeting that night. While he had originally been extremely put out, he had gotten over it quickly as he listened to the fearsome witch scream at their headmaster for kidnapping an infant and illegally binding her magic. It was nice to see another adult that cared about his daughter wholeheartedly, not just for what she could bring to the cause.

Severus took her elbow and guided them down the stairs of the Headmaster's office and took her into the first empty classroom before warding and silencing it. When he turned, he saw Hermione looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry we were so foolish yesterday. We shouldn't have kissed like that in the corridors, but they kind of sprang it on me. I was upset because the Slytherins think Draco is just using me for sex and that he'll drop me afterwards to make a proper match since I'm only a halfblood." Severus wanted to snort at her words, but he refrained. Apparently, there was still a sliver of adolescent witch in his daughter after all. He put his hands on the tops of her shoulders to still her words.

"You know those words are false. You know how Draco makes you feel, you wouldn't have kissed him otherwise. Don't believe the words of those speculating when you actually know." She smiled at him tremulously.

"Thank you. I guess I shouldn't have worried so much, they've given me no cause to think that either one of them would use me like that." He smiled at her and laid a hand on her cheek.

"I didn't pull you in here to counsel you in love. I wanted to ask if you are alright from dinner? I know Weasley makes you nervous, as he rightly should. I could feel you three sharing power from the High Table, Minerva said the output was astronomical. She asked Albus what happened to you three and he was forced to tell her what was going on." Hermione moved in and hugged him.

"I'm not angry she knows. I've always respected her. As for dealing with Ron, I didn't think he would actually curse Draco, but I also didn't think that he would ever attack me either. I wanted to stop him before he made me hurt him badly like I did Umbridge." He kissed her hairline before speaking.

"It was a good plan. Had it been anyone other than Weasley it would have worked. Now, how do you feel about meeting the Dark Lord?" Hermione snorted.

"Nervous. A little scared. I know if he really wanted to kill me, not even you could stop him." Severus hugged her tighter.

"Sweet, I would die trying to save you. However, I truly don't think he wants you dead. He knows his own strength and magical power runs through your veins. He also knows that your power is magnified by the fact that you're part of a triad. He's fearful enough of losing that he would much rather woo you to his side." She nodded, but said nothing. Severus pulled her away from his chest so she could see his eyes.

"I'll be right there with you the whole tine." Hermione finally smiled before she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you. I appreciate that so much." He smiled at her too.

"You're welcome, sweet. Now go on along, those ridiculous wizards are waiting for you, I'm sure." His daughter nodded and pulled away.

"I'm happy you're my dad, Severus." His heart warmed at her words and it seemed to explode outwards.

"I'm delighted to have my daughter back." She didn't say anything else before turning and cancelling his spell work like it was nothing. When she was gone, he couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face.

His daughter had been returned to him, she was the most wonderful daughter a man could ask for, she accepted him even though he was rude, surly, snarky, and unkind. Even though their entire world had the potential of turning to complete shit, Severus was happier than he had been for nearly two decades.

A/N- Holy balls, this chapter was so hard to write. I just couldn't focus and I apologize if it just sucks completely. I have so much shit going on in my real life that it's finally bleeding over to my writing. Anyways, the "filler chapter" became a full-fledged chapter, lucky y'all. Let me know what ya thought.

Next chapter, Hermione meets Voldy face to face.

Love,

Alicia


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- All y'alls love keeps me so motivated! Thanks for the follows/favorites/reviews, they make me smile ((: I have a vision of how I want this chapter to go, hopefully I can pull it off! Thanks to leanix2009 for being my 300th reviewer!

Disclaimer: Nothing you see here belongs to me except maybe the specific twist on the plot. The rest belongs to our queen.

Chapter 14

September 15, 1995

Hermione was bloody nervous. She was meeting her grandfather today, and while normally this wouldn't be a major thing in her muggle life, in her witch life, it had the potential to become a disaster. If she said or did something wrong, Tom Riddle could very well try to kill her.

Severus had taken her aside every day since the meeting with Dumbledore and had tried to give her pointers on how to deal with Voldemort. He called him the Dark Lord, but Hermione wasn't sure that she could manage that. She didn't think that she could ever bow to him and kiss the hem of his robes like her father did. He truly did sacrifice so much for the cause and the fact that most of the Order still vilified him pissed her the fuck off.

Draco had told her exactly what the Dark Lord did to his followers, Severus included. The fact that the man could torture his own son didn't make her too optimistic about the outcome of their meeting. Severus suffered far more than anyone knew, nobody in the Order knew just what exactly Voldemort was capable of. Hermione hadn't either, but she felt that she had found a reliable source in Draco. The fact that nobody treated her father with the respect he was due was going to change eventually.

Her hands smoothed down the witch's robes that she was wearing. It was a nervous habit that she really needed to break, but she didn't think that now would be the right time. While she had wanted to wear her jeans and a jumper, Severus had almost had a mental breakdown. The Dark Lord was all about preserving the old customs and there was no place for jeans and jumpers in his vision.

Therefore, Hermione was eyeing herself in the mirror. Her robes were crimson, Severus had insisted upon it, and they fit her like a glove. While her appearance had changed when the glamour broke, her curves had not, and Hermione had always been blessed with curves galore. The robes showcased exactly what her genes had blessed her with.

Hermione had questioned Severus as to why it was mandatory that she wear red. She had thought that green would be better since the heir of Slytherin thing was actually a big deal. Severus had firmly told her that since she would be special she needed to make a statement. That statement would be that she wasn't scared to shed blood and nobody would be able to tell because of her robes.

Hermione had been horrified at his words, but her father had simply chuckled. He had explained that it wasn't the follow up on the statement that mattered, but the impression the threat had been more grateful than she remembered being in a few months.

Harry and Draco had helped her ready herself in an empty classroom. Both had tried their best to keep her calm and tried to give her pointers. After Albus and Severus stopping her at every possible moment they could to do the same, she was about ready to scream. She knew what to expect and how to counter everything she came up against. Hermione finally held up her hands to stop the barrage of comments.

"Enough. If I'm not prepared by now, I never will be. Severus will be there and will be my guide. If I have to hear one more tip or pointer I fear I may scream." Both boys went quiet (they would forever be her boys to her) and nodded. Harry was the one that broke the silence.

"You're going to do great, 'Mi. We're the ones that are nervous, not because you don't know what to do, but because we aren't going to be there to protect you." Draco nodded before moving forward to pull her into his embrace.

"What he said. I'm just scared of what the Dark Lord could do if he doesn't approve of what you say." Harry stepped forward hugged her from behind, his cheek resting on her shoulder.

"Just promise you'll be careful. Embrace your inner Slytherin and make it through this meeting intact." She chuckled into Draco's shoulder before turning to kiss the side of Harry's head.

"I'll be fine, I promise. You two just be waiting for me when I get back and I promise I'll get through it." They both seemed to realize that she needed them to calm down so she could calm her own nerves. Both went quiet and stood there in a three-way embrace with her for an undetermined amount of time. Harry was finally the one that spoke.

"It's time, 'Mi. Lets get you to Snape so you can fool the most evil wizard of all time." She snorted at his words, but said nothing.

Hermione let him grasp her hand and pull her towards the door. Draco snagged her free hand and brought up the tail of line. Once in the corridor, the trio stayed linked together. They no longer had anything to hide from their peers or the public.

Hermione had never been happier that she had told the Great Hall that they were all three involved in a triad. Before, she had been leery and nervous about showing too much affection for both men. While she normally didn't believe in displaying too much public affection, she did like to be able to hold their hands and kiss their cheeks without worrying about it being too much.

The trio made their way to the Headmaster's office. She had thrown a set of her school robes on over her day robes to cover the fact that she was actually headed somewhere other than the library. When they were admitted to the Headmaster's office by the griffin, Hermione gulped before pushing through the final door.

When the three of them entered the warm and cheery office, Severus was already waiting for them. Professor Dumbledore was seated at his desk and they appeared to have been discussing something important. The pair fell silent when they approached and Hermione found herself annoyed.

"Please tell me you two aren't discussing contingency plans in case I mess this up." Severus had the good grace to look sheepish, but Professor Dumbledore just smiled his twinkly smile.

"Miss Granger, we simply wish to be prepared." Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the old man who had altered her life so drastically. She still hadn't forgiven him for binding her magic or taking her from Severus without at least telling the Slytherin her identity when she came to Hogwarts.

"You don't think I can do it." Severus raised one brow at her statement while the Headmaster held his hands up in a placating manner.

"I didn't say that, Miss Granger. I meant that we like to be prepared for all manners of situations." Hermione snorted softly.

"Sure you do." While she knew her tone and words were a tad disrespectful, Hermione couldn't feel too badly about it. She spoke again when nobody else took the initiative.

"Lets go. I swear, I'll lose my nerve if we don't get started." Severus flashed her a worried glance.

"Are you sure you're ready? I can come up with an excuse if you need more time." Hermione flashed him a half smile.

"I'm a lion at heart. We're doing this. Lets go." Severus shook himself visibly and nodded. While he didn't offer her his arm, that would draw too much attention in the corridors of Hogwarts, he did walk close by her side.

With one last look and wave towards her boys, she turned and allowed Severus to lead her out of the castle. While they were walking, she noticed that he was wearing the thick woolen cloak that was often seen on Death Eaters. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he had his silver mask hidden in it's folds.

Even though she and Severus looked no different than they normally did as they traversed the corridors, they drew quite the number of stares from students and staff alike since they were indeed walking together. In a true show of gentlemanly fashion, Severus held the main doors open for her as six Slytherin seventh years watched from the doorway of the Great Hall. While they were clearly not surprised at the actions of their Head of House, the Hufflepuffs watching from the corridor were extremely confused.

The night air was cool and Hermione was thankful for her extra set of robes. She hoped that Malfoy Manor wasn't as cold as Draco led her to believe or she would freeze in just her day robes. Now that they were out of sight from other students, Severus offered her his arm. She hesitiated only a moment before wrapping her hand around the crook of his elbow.

The pair travelled the expanse of the grounds until they reached the front gates. Hermione once more felt a flash of nerves. This was it. They were going to portkey to the gates of Malfoy Manor and she would then meet her grandfather. As if sensing her bout of anxiety, Severus squeezed the hand that rested on his arm.

"I'll be there the whole time." She gave him a shaky smile before she nodded and pulled herself together. This was nothing in the scheme of things and she knew she could do this. She simply had to act as arrogant as he did and play into his hand.

Severus held out a quill that he had pulled from his pocket. Hermione stared at it for only a moment before she grasped it in one hand so Severus could tap it with his wand. As was the way with portkeys, Hermione felt a jerk behind her navel and was gone.

When they landed, it was a hard jolt that almost landed her on her arse. She would have if it hadn't been for Severus reaching out to grab hold of her arm. She flashed him a grateful smile as she righted herself and surveyed her surroundings.

Wrought iron gates rose at least four meters high in front of her, a large ornate M hanging in the middle. A gravel driveway lay behind it leading the way up to the biggest house she had ever seen. While her parents hadn't been rich, they had been well off. She was used to living in a nice house and having nice things. Money had never been an issue for her. This, however, took living comfortably to a new level. Severus snapped his fingers in front of her face to catch her attention.

"You need to take off your school robes so I can shrink them." She was quick to comply with his request. She did believe that he was the best judge of what she should or shouldn't do in this situation. The breeze was cool on her bare skin, but she ignored it. She had far more important things to focus on.

The gates swung open of their own accord and Hermione threaded her arm through her father's once more so he could escort her in. He had assured her that it was proper pureblood etiquette. While neither she nor Severus were pureblood, they were still expected to respect the customs.

Hermione took in the manicured lawns and the massive garden that was just visible to the side of the Manor. An albino peacock wandered through one of the lawns so he could drink at one of the many ponds. The house was beyond them and was ornate even on the outside. It was pure white with a large black set of double doors leading inside. Hermione leaned closer to her father so she could whisper.

"It seems rather uncomfortable and overdone, doesn't it?" Severus snorted at her words, but didn't answer. Hermione shouldn't have been surprised when the front doors opened without them knocking. A tiny elf had opened it before escorting them in. The creature gave them a nervous look before pointing to another set of ornate doors. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if there was a simply decorated room in this whole house. Severus nodded.

"Thank you, Mipsy." The elf bowed before disappearing in a near-silent crack. Severus looked down at her and she couldn't help but hope that he was nervous. She knew it would make her feel better if he was.

"He's in the ballroom. He wants to make a good impression. Remember what I told you." She gave a resolute nod.

Severus started forward and Hermione did her best to keep up. For all her bravado, she truly was scared shitless. It would take just one simple spell to end her forever. She gave herself a mental shake and made her get her head in the game. If Harry could face him, she could as well.

Severus swung the doors open and Hermione was stunned beyond words. There wasn't just Voldemort in attendance. Every single Death Eater he had recruited through the years was there as well. Hermione couldn't hide the fine tremor that travelled through her arm and down to her hand. Severus must have felt it because he laid a hand on top of hers to calm her.

They approached the throne that seemed to be situated by the massive fireplace. Hermione started slightly when she saw the appearance of her grandfather even though she had been warned as to what he looked like. He was as pale as Severus, much paler than herself, and his head was completely bald. His facial features seemed to be much more angular and pointy than what looked natural and his nose had shortened into slits. The most prominent feature was his glowing red eyes. All in all, he looked like a fucking snake.

Speaking of snakes, his large python was curled at his feet, head raised at the appearance of Hermione and her father. Hermione took in the people located around the room. Thoros Nott, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Corban Yaxley, Thorfinne Rowle, Walden McNair. The list went on, but there were also many that she didn't recognize. Deciding that their numbers made her more nervous, she turned her attention back to Voldemort. She almost fell over when the snake began hissing at him.

"This is the flesh of your flesh? She doesn't look very impressive." Voldemort reached down to stroke the head of his beloved snake. The hissing continued, but she could understand what every sound meant. She suddenly understood why Harry had found it so unnerving.

"She may not be yet, pet, but she will be. She is destined to bring my vision to fruition."

Hermione decided that she would pretend she couldn't understand what they were saying. It might be an edge to have over the sick bastard at a later date. Therefore, she kept her expression blank and continued forward steadily at her father's side.

When they finally reached the Dark Lord, Severus dropped to his knee and gathered his hem in his hand so he could press a kiss to the filthy fabric. Hermione was sickened at what her father was forced to do to bring information back to the Order, only for them to be distrustful and ungrateful.

Severus had been very clear in his instruction. He had told her that she would be required to bow at his feet and kiss his robe. He had told her to address him as the Dark Lord and to never meet his eyes or challenge him. Seeing how her father, an extremely powerful wizard himself, was forced to bow at his own father's feet as if he were nothing pissed her off.

Hermione remained on her feet.

She kept her face impassive, but stared her grandfather right in the eyes.

While she saw a flash of anger it disappeared quickly and was replaced by amusement. A slight smirk appeared on his features as he stared into her eyes. She realized that he could have been performing legilimency on her, but she didn't care. There was nothing vital in her mind to share with him. As sure as she was of this, she really didn't think that he was attempting to see into her mind. It would be considered extremely rude and like Severus had said, he was trying to make a good impression. Severus was glaring daggers at her, but she paid him no mind.

"Hello, Grandfather." The room at large gasped at her words. She still didn't look away from his glowing red eyes. He broke the contact when he threw back his head and laughed. His loyal followers had no idea what to make of the scene before them. When his laughter finally fell silent, Voldemort deigned to speak.

"Beautiful Isabella Rose. How wonderful to be reunited with you." She wanted to snort, but she refrained. She wanted to unnerve him, not get herself killed.

"I'm happy you think so since you and your loyal followers have been trying to kill me for a number of years now." Voldemort stared at her again for almost a minute before turning to his followers.

"I'd like to introduce to you all my granddaughter, Isabella Rose Snape. She is also known as Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's mudblood friend." She could see the disbelief on the Death Eater's faces, but she remained silent. Her grandfather continued.

"The old fool had her stolen from Nott Manor. He placed horrid glamour charms on her and bound her magic to try and hide her from me. He knew she was the child of a prophecy. He knew he had to hide her from Severus. Little did he think that sweet Isabella would seek out her father for a paternity potion when her muggles parents were killed." Hermione felt a stab of pain, the ever-present pain that she experienced whenever her thoughts turned to Jake and Miranda Granger.

"There is a prophecy that says the heir of my heir would have power not seen in a century and that once she finds two mates, she will bring the world away from darkness or plunge it to depths never seen." He paused again and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he did this for effect.

Severus was still on his knee next to her and while she wanted to tell him to get up, she knew he wouldn't. He would do what was expected of him and kneel until he had permission to rise. She decided to see what she could do about the situation. Her grandfather turned back to face her again.

"I never thought I would admire a Gryffindor trait, but I find that I approve of your stubborn pride. Your refusal to bow and call me your Lord has piqued my interest." Hermione folded her hands securely in front of her waist.

"I see no need to bow or call you my Lord because you aren't. You're my grandfather. If you wish me to bow, you would have to make me." To her surprise, he started laughing again.

"Sweetling, I do not wish you to bow. I wish you to rule by my side." Hermione had not been expecting that. She had been told that he would never hand over power to her if he could help it. Therefore, she decided to call him on it.

"You wish me to rule by your side while your own son grovels at your feet? Why would I believe you were serious?" Voldemort seemed to only remember that Severus was still knelt before him.

"Rise, Severus. Tell me, what do you think of your daughter?" She could see that he really didn't want to answer the question, probably because he was afraid she would believe his answer. She met his eyes, hoping to convey that she knew he would say what he had to.

"She is young and impetuous, a Gryffindor at heart. She has much to learn, but the potential is enormous." Hermione didn't think that it was a terrible answer. Far better than she had expected. Voldemort turned back to her and Hermione realized what he was doing. He was hoping to drive a wedge between the two so he wouldn't have to give up having her father on his knees before him.

"What do you think of his opinion of you?" Hermione gave him a small smile.

"Truthful. While the sorting hat did consider putting me in Slytherin, it told me that I was a true Gryffindor. I can most certainly be impetuous if correctly provoked, and I do have much to learn." Her grandfather began tapping his chin with one of his long bony fingers.

"I want you on my side, Isabella. What is your heart's desire? Riches? Power? A manor the size of this one? Name your price and I'll give it to you." Hermione cocked her head to the side and pretended to be considering his offer. It was almost a minute before she spoke.

"I have money, I have no need of a manor, I have power enough for several wizards now that my magic is freed. What else can you offer me?" There were mutters all around the room and she could almost guarantee that nobody present had ever deigned to speak to their master as she was. She knew that he was going to ask after Harry and Draco. It was just a matter of time.

"Have you found your mates, Isabella?" She gave him a other small smlie.

"You know that I have." He barked out a single laugh before turning to Nagini to hiss at her.

"What did I tell you, pet? She's delightful." The snake didn't respond, but she seemed to get the impression that the snake was exasperated. She really needed to research parseltongue when she returned to Hogwarts.

"What if I were to promise to not harm your mates? Young Harry Potter would benefit greatly from our alliance. I would no longer hunt him. I would call off the search for his whereabouts during holidays. Young Malfoy would be promised the same safety." Hermione took a step forward and the air around her thickened. She could feel the magic coursing through her much the same as it had when she had attacked Umbridge.

"If you even think of touching my mates, I will kill you." Before Voldemort could answer, Thorfinne Rowle called out from the crowd. Hermione had never liked the Slytherin. He had been a seventh year Slytherin when she had been a first year Gryffindor. To say that he had bullied her would been the understatement of the year.

"Don't listen to her! I'll kill Potter myself. The prophecy says you can't both live." Hermione barely heard Severus snort, but she was sure that he had. She turned slowly to face one of her bullies. She knew that she was being put on the spot so she forced herself to think about this man hunting down Harry and killing him. She wasn't entirely sure that it would work, but when her magic lashed out, she knew she had succeeded.

Rowle was lifted in the air a good six feet, her wand still in her pocket, and he was slammed into the hard stone floor beneath him. The magic in the air was palpable and everyone took several steps away from her. The only two who remained remotely close were Severus and Voldemort. The man laying on the ground, a growing pool of blood beneath him, groaned before falling silent. Hermione could only hope and pray to whatever deities were listening that she hadn't killed him.

"Whether I join your side or not, anyone who dares harm Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy will suffer a fate they'd rather not contemplate." Voldemort began clapping his hands.

"Bravo! Gordon, take Thorfinne and give him to the elves to he is well, instruct the elves to send him to me for speaking out of turn." Whoever the Gordon fellow was, he hurried to do his master's bidding. The Dark Lord turned back to his granddaughter.

"Join me, sweetling. I will give you my word that no harm will come to you or your mates, at least not on my order. I will allow you to participate as you wish, no required appearances. I will make requests, but you will have a choice. Neither you nor your mates will be Marked. You will be able to help make decisions. You won't be lied to. Your magic will be worshipped, not bound." Hermione cocked her head again and pretended to be considering his offer. When she finally spoke, she could tell that the whole room was anxious.

"You have a deal on one condition. You make this a true family affair and have Severus stand in my stead when I cannot attend. I am still a student after all." The Dark Lord rubbed his chin as if he was considering her words, but she knew that he was already going to agree.

"I accept your terms. There is the matter of Potter trying to kill me, however. If he attempts my life that will null and void our agreement." Hermione gave a slow nod.

"That actually shouldn't be a problem. Harry has lost faith in Dumbledore since he learned what he did to me. I don't think he'll be hard to convince when I tell him you've called a cease fire so to speak. He probably won't be able to get past your history together, but I know he doesn't want a war." A slimy grin pasted on his snake-like features.

"It seems we have an accord." Hermione nodded once and was unsure of what to do next. It seemed that her grandfather wasn't finished though.

"How are young Malfoy and young Potter treating you, sweetling? Like the Dark Princess you are?" She wanted to snort, but once again, she refrained.

"They treat me well. Walk me to class and keep me from the whispers. They carry my bag and sit with me at meals. They take good care of me." Voldemort moved forward and Hermione forced herself not to flinch when he reached down and stroked a finger down her cheek so he could cup her chin.

"If they are less than attentive, I don't have to harm them to make their lives miserable." She decided to not take this as a threat since he said he wouldn't hurt them. Although, she had to make a point.

"It sounds an awful lot like you care, Grandfather." He now stroked her chin and it took every fiber of concentration to not shiver in revulsion. When he spoke, it was low enough that nobody but she and Severus could hear.

"I've always dreamt of a powerful heir to the throne." She cocked an eyebrow.

"You had one before you had me. You don't care for Severus." He released her chin before he smiled a slimy grin.

"That's where you're wrong, sweetling. I have cared for Severus. Just not in the same way I care for you."

Hermione knew exactly what he meant. He cared for Severus in the capacity that he could provide an heir. He cared for her because he wanted to ensure that her power stayed on his side of the war. She had no illusions that there was any real depth of feeling for her or Severus. It seemed that this ended their conversation.

"Severus, return her to Hogwarts and do your best to evade the old man. The less he knows of our plans the better. I will contact you when I request her presence again." Hermione didn't acknowledge his words since they were spoken to her father. Severus started to go to his knee, but was stopped by the Dark Lord.

"You no longer bow before me, Severus." He seemed to freeze for a moment before he straightened. Hermione decided to see if he would acknowledge her again.

"Goodbye, Grandfather." His lips pulled back over his teeth and it was truly hideous to behold.

"Goodbye, sweetling. Study well."

Severus reached out and folded her hand back into the crook of his arm. He didn't have to pull Hermione on the way out. She kept pace easily as they exited the Manor with only a nod of the head to Mipsy. Severus remained silent as they made their way up the drive, the cool air kissing her bare skin again.

Judging by the pitch black color of the sky, it was past curfew. When the gates opened and allowed them passage, Severus wordlessly held out the quill again. She didn't hesitate to take it in her grip. She was getting the very distinct impression that he was angry with her. Call her a rebellious teenager, but she didn't care. There was no way in blue hell that she could bow and scrape at his feet.

Once again, he caught and steadied her until she regained her bearings after landing back in front of the Hogwarts' gates. They swung open soundlessly and Hermione followed after her father. He was no longer formally escorting her so she had to lift her skirts so she could rush to keep up with him. It was in her hurry that she stumbled over a rock because she was concentrating on keeping her skirt high enough. She went down with a thud, her knee scraping painfully on a sharp rock. She only whimpered softly in pain, but her father still heard it and whirled around.

"You little fool! You can't even watch where you're going! You expect to survive a war when you can't even walk across the grounds in a skirt." The venom in his voice was the same as it had been when he had demanded that she drop Potions. She really wanted to apologize, but she refused. Tripping in a skirt wasn't an offense that warranted an apology, especially since he was being a prat about it.

Severus reached down and grasped her wrist and pulled her to her feet roughly. She snatched her wrist back from him and started back towards the castle. She just wanted to go see Harry and Draco, hug both of them tight, and go to bed. Unfortunately, now she had to deal with her father being a prick and Dumbledore chastising her for not following the plan set forth.

"Do not walk away from me, young lady." Suddenly, she was livid. How dare he pull the parental act on her when he had allowed Dumbledore to take her. She spun so quickly that she was surprised she didn't fall.

"Why shouldn't I? You walked away from me. The only reason you stopped is because you had an opening to insult me and make me feel stupid and inferior again. I should have known better than to give you a chance. First time I don't fit the form of what you deem acceptable, you slide right back into being a cold, unfeeling bastard." Her father strode forward until their faces were only inches apart.

"I trusted you enough to know that you would follow my counsel because I would never steer you wrong and the first second into an encounter with the most powerful wizard in the world, you act like a petulant child and do the exact thing I told you not to. He could have killed you and then where would you be? Where would Potter be? Everyone knows that idiot can't put two and two together without you to count his fingers for him." Maybe he was right, but Hermione didn't care. He had no right to bring Harry into the argument and then insult him. It was always Harry, never Draco. Her magic came forth and blew him backwards much the same as it had Ron.

"If I'm such a disrespectful and stupid daughter, don't bother claiming me then. Fuck off, Professor Snape." She could tell that her words hit him like a punch in the gut. At that moment, however, she didn't care. She turned again and picked up her skirt so she could begin to make her way towards the castle again.

For the longest time, Hermione heard nothing behind her. Her heels were sinking in the now dew-soaked grass so she bent and took them off. She hooked the heels of her shoes with her fingers and carried them in one hand while the other continued to hold her skirt. They had almost reached the castle when she heard him speak.

"Hermione, please stop." She really didn't want to, but she also didn't want to permanently damage their relationship by being a stubborn bitch. Therefore, she halted on the hard stone of the pathway and she tried to wiggle feeling into her numb toes. She finally had to shiver. There was no repressing the cold any longer. Her father seemed to notice and removed his cloak. Even though it was his Death Eater cloak, she was still grateful when he settled it around her shoulders.

Severus wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to the main steps leading to the Entrance Hall. He gently guided her to sit so he could pull up her skirt and inspect her knee. She did her part by pointing her own wand and lighting it so he could see better. With a couple silent spells, she felt her knee knit together again. Once it was healed completely, he lowered her skirt and sat next to her on the steps.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that you were stupid or a fool. I was angry because you blatantly disregarded what I warned you about the Dark Lord. He could have killed you. I don't think I can stand to lose you again." Now Hermione felt guilty. She reached out and took his hand so she could thread her fingers with his.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have called you a bastard. I was just angry because you sounded exactly like you did when you wanted me out of Potions. It hurt." He pulled their hands apart and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hauling her close.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Hermione snuggled further into his frock coat, the subtle scent of potions keeping her calm.

"I had every plan to follow your instruction until I saw you kneel and kiss his filthy robe. I was livid that he would treat his own son like that. I was livid that you let him take away your dignity just so the Order can mistrust you and treat you like scum. He didn't even remember you were on your knees and that made me want to blast him to hell. Maybe that makes me evil, I don't know, but it's the truth." Severus pressed a kiss to the side of her head before he spoke.

"You handled yourself well. I'm proud of you for playing it exactly right. I should have told you to play the quintessential Gryffindor. If you had acted like the obedient Slytherin he may have suspected something." She didn't answer, merely hummed softly in his coat. Sleep was suddenly threatening to overtake her. Her father seemed to understand instantly what was happening.

"Come now, sweet, we still have to report. Tomorrow is Saturday so your suitors can wait until you sleep half the day away to see you." She chuckled softly and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

Her feet currently now had no feeling in them and she didn't understand why she hadn't cast a warming charm on them earlier. With a mere thought, her magic flared to life to do her bidding and warmed her feet. They stayed warm as they traversed the castle corridors once more. Hermione was still leaning heavily on Severus as she really did feel like she was going to drop, but she plugged on since there was no other choice.

When they passed by the griffin, Hermione couldn't remember being so grateful. She was exhausted and hoped that the Headmaster didn't become too much of a pill about the situation since it had worked out well in the end. They were still at odds and she strongly suspected herself capable of telling him to stick his plans and the Order up his wrinkly arse and finding a way to defeat her grandfather on her own.

Harry and Draco were waiting for her as they entered the room. Both stood from the couch they had been reading on and rushed to her, pulling her from her father's warm embrace. Harry hugged her from the front and Draco from behind, and she had to bite back the chuckle when she thought that she was the cream filling of a hot man sandwich. She just let them hug her and it was in that moment that she realized what could have happened if things had gone terribly wrong. Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat and when the trio parted, he motioned for them to take a seat on the couch.

"I'm happy to see that you have returned unscathed. Tell us everything." Hermione didn't really know where to start. She glanced to her father and he nodded encouragingly. She drew in a deep breath and began her story.

The Headmaster's eyes flared with what she thought was anger when she told them of her defiance to the Dark Lord. She enumerated everything that she had exchanged with Voldemort and she had to tune out the disbelieving looks from her two mates when she had attacked Thorfinne Rowle. The whole evenings events just poured from her lips and she was hard pressed to stop it. Once she started, it was almost cathartic to confess everything. When she finally finished, she felt ten stone lighter. The Headmaster finally spoke.

"You went against everything you were supposed to do, Miss Granger. How can we trust you to do what needs to be done when you can't be trusted to follow instructions?" Both Harry and Draco bristled next to her and she knew that if she didn't speak quickly they would take the conversation into their own hands.

"You have no other choice but to trust me, Headmaster. Sure, you could keep me here, try to keep me from my grandfather, but what would you accomplish? Nothing, except pissing off the most powerful wizard this era has seen." She paused for effect.

"Furthermore, you may be satisfied with allowing that sick excuse for a human being to demean my father, to treat him as little more than a slave, but I'm not. If I can change how Severus is treated in the ranks of his imposed servitude, I will. As you are now well aware, I handled Voldemort quite well." She fell quiet and she could see the pride shining in Severus' eyes. Hermione decided that she had nothing else to say. She rose to her feet and both Harry and Draco followed suit.

"I have nothing else to report, Headmaster. Well, actually, that's a lie. An interesting fact that I kept secret from everyone until now. I'm a parselmouth. I could understand that hideous snake he had curled up at his feet." Severus lost his impassive mask.

"You understood them? What did they say?" She snorted as she headed for the door.

"Nothing important. He calls her pet and they bantered back and forth about how I was going to bring his vision of ruling the world to fruition." Both Harry and Draco burst out in laughter before shepherding her towards the door once more. She stopped in front of Severus and raised to her tip toes since he had a good 10 inches on her. After pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, she called out a quick goodnight.

Hermione let the boys lead her down the stairs and out into the corridor. Once they stopped, she turned to them both.

"Lets find somewhere we can hole up for awhile. I don't want to be alone." Her two boys kissed her forehead at the same time and held out their hands. Draco stroked the back of her hand with his thumb as he pulled her down the cirridor for once.

"Lets go."

-O-

Severus was astounded at how the evening had turned out. In one single meeting, his daughter had turned his life around. He would no longer have to kneel before his bastard father and kiss his filthy robes. He wouldn't have to suffer through the jilts and jeers of his fellow "brothers in arms" because he was now in a position of authority. It was extremely gratifying, although when she had been bargaining for him, Severus had been terrified.

He had been sure that his father would punish Hermione for her outspoken tongue, but he had seemed to enjoy it. He didn't know the exact reason behind it, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He knew his daughter was a true-born Gryffindor so she would never be able to curb her tongue completely.

What surprised him the most was that the Dark Lord truly did seem to care for her. He didn't think it was in the capacity of what a parent or grandparent feels for a child, but perhaps as a high born lord cares for his heir. Severus wasn't sure why it unsettled him so, perhaps because the Dark Lord cared about nothing, but it did. Albus interrupted his train of thought.

"You know what she did was reckless and impulsive and she could have gotten you both killed. Where would the Order be then? No spy and no leverage over Tom." Severus stood quickly and leaned over the desk so he could portray just how serious he was.

"Don't presume to think that I can't quit being your spy. My loyalty has changed and it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to that wonderful girl that just left with those two idiot boys. If she walks on your plan, I walk." Albus folded his hands under his chin and just looked steadily at Severus.

"I'm not angry, not now, but she needs to be more careful. A lot is riding on her and I don't think she's aware just how much she could ruin things if she doesn't tread carefully." Severus remained on his feet.

"I think you should be treading carefully with my daughter. She's already lost all respect for you since she discovered you bound her magic and took her from her family. Sure, she understands it had to be done, but you still robbed her of something very important to her. Push her too far and she may just turn away from you and the Order. You also know that not only will I follow her, Potter will as well." Severus flipped his cloak back over his shoulder before he headed for the door.

"Goodnight, Albus. Consider my words."

Severus didn't wait for an answer before slamming the door behind him and stalking off into the night.

-O-

Albus stared into the fire after Severus had swept from the room in his usual manner, cloak billowing behind him. While the result of the evening was as good as he could have hoped for, it made him more nervous than he cared to admit that Hermione had changed their well-laid plans.

The last thing he wanted was for the young girl to turn dark. Severus had fallen by the wayside so easily and he was scared to death that Hermione could as well. She was far more powerful than Severus and he suspected that if she truly wanted to, she could surpass Tom as well.

The prophecy had foretold that she would save the world from darkness or plunge it to depths untold. He needed to remember that when dealing with Hermione. She was already angry with him, rightly so he could admit, and he didn't think it would take much more for her to turn away from him completely.

The last thing that he needed was to worry about a new Dark Lady that was more powerful than he was. He considered himself evenly matched with Tom, but after witnessing Hermione's power and hearing what she did just this very evening to Thorfinne Rowle, he knew she surpassed even him.

Albus stroked his beard as he considered what he had to do. He was going to have to play the game like Hermione wanted, there was no other way around it. It killed his pride, but there was nothing he could do about it. Albus sighed as he stood to make his way to his bedchambers.

Days like these, he truly felt his age.

A/N- Another massive chapter. I hope it meets your expectations and keeps ya hooked on the story. I hope to have another chapter out in a couple days so bear with me. Leave me a message after the beep.

Next chapter, we finally see some Theo/Hermione action.

Love,

Alicia


	15. Chapter 15

A/N- The feedback and support y'all show me is just overwhelming! I know I'll never be Shayalonnie, Kittenshift17, or Colubrina, but you guys make me feel great. A million times, thank you. Enough chatter for now, thanks for being awesome!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you might see in this fic. Possibly the personal twist on the story line, but I know this trope has been done before.

Chapter 15

September 19, 1995

Hermione was excited. She knew that everyone in school made fun of her love of learning, the exploring of knowledge that the world had to offer, but she just couldn't help herself. When she was offered the chance to explore a brand new field of magic and study, she threw herself into research so she could be the best there possibly was.

Her father had told her that occlumency was an extremely difficult field of magic, that it took someone with a high level of discipline. He had told her that it was extremely hard for Gryffindors to learn because the basis of it was controlling your emotions, locking away the thoughts and feelings that would betray you. While she was sure that she did have a disciplined mind, she was extremely nervous that she wouldn't be able to control her emotions.

Draco was already fair at occlumency. His mother had mastered it in her childhood and when Voldemort had returned last year, she had insisted that he begin learning the art. She had been most surprised when Draco had told her that his mother had seen the memories of her and his emotions regarding her, and she hadn't demanded that he ridicule or harm Hermione. She had simply not commented and Draco had gotten the impression that she didn't seem to care.

This had called into question the thought that maybe Narcissa Malfoy wasn't quite as devout a blood purist as her husband was, that she had to simply play the part because of her husband and the fact that their home was playing host to the Dark Lord. She wasn't one hundred percent sure she could buy into that considering who had raised her and who she had married, but it was definetely food for thought.

In her usual swotty and over-achieving manner, Hermione had checked out as many books on occlumency as she could find in the library and had read every single one of them in entirety so she could be as prepared as possible. Draco had told her that it wasn't something she could learn from a book, that it was a practical branch of magic, but she didn't care. She had always done better if she understood the theory first and then moved forward.

Therefore, after she had read every single book on the art, Hermiome had done her best to start trying to learn how to control her emotions on her own. She had insisted that Harry try with her so he wouldn't fall behind. It was extremely difficult, but she had made sure that every night before bed she practiced clearing her mind of all thoughts and emotions. While she didn't think that she was doing a great job, she did think that she was sleeping better as a result since she had fewer dreams.

The reason for her excitement, incidentally, was that their first lesson in occlumency with her father was that evening. While she was nervous about failing, she was also extremely scared that her father would see her past deeds and thoughts and reject her. She knew how much he hated Sirius and nobody knew exactly how the animagus had eacaped except for less than a handful of people. Her father was not one of them. She was terrified that he would discover those memories and think that she was betraying him somehow. While she knew that this thought process was ridiculous, she simply couldn't help herself.

Hermione was pulled out of her wayward thoughts by Harry speaking to her.

"'Mi, you ready to go? The bell just rang and the greenhouses are aways away." She recalled that they had been eating breakfast and shook herself slightly before nodding.

"Yeah, sorry, I was just worrying about tonight's lesson." Draco helped her up as he chuckled, kissing the side of her head.

"Quit worrying. Everything is going to be fine." Hermione couldn't help but shake her head as they started to make their way through the corridors.

"You don't understand the things he can see in my mind. He might hate me after one specific incident." Draco shook his head as Harry shot her a confused look.

"He's not going to hate you, Princess. You're his daughter." She cast a knowing look towards Harry. He raised an eyebrow in question at her. She sighed and rolled her eyes at his ignorance.

"Who does Severus Snape hate more than anyone else aside from Voldemort himself?" Harry's eyes widened and she was happy that she finally made him realize her fears.

"Sirius Black." Hermione nodded and Draco finally caught on. He brushed her curls over the front of her shoulders so he could rub the muscles firmly.

"Even if he wants Black dead, he'll understand that you did what you thought was right. You're a Gryffindor and you lions champion those that can't fend for themselves. If he does get mad, that's the angle I'd play up." Hermione chuckled at Draco's ever eternal Slytherin outlook on life. While she couldn't do it full-time, she could now admit how useful it was from time to time.

As they traversed the corridors to Herbology, Hermione let her mind drift to her meeting with Voldemort. While she had been upset that she had caused her father worry and fear, she had been so very proud of herself that she had won her grandfather over with little to no effort. Not only had she secured Harry and Draco's safety, she had also secured Severus' place in the ranks as one of authority so he would no longer have to bow before his father and suffer the indignity of such actions. While she understood why he had never pushed for more than he already had, Hermione had felt it was foolish. He should have demanded more when he realized who he was since old Voldy would expect him to have pride in his heritage.

Hermione had been questioned at length by Severus about their meeting with the Dark Lord. He wanted to know why she had insisted on calling him grandfather, why she had pushed for him to be a part of anything in her life, and just how this information was affecting her relationship with Draco. She couldn't help but smile when he asked this question. He had assumed that Draco would be the one to have the problem with her actions when in truth it was the other way around. Her father had laughed when she had informed him of this conversation.

Severus had also implored to her to find a random wild snake and start practicing parseltongue with. Harry was wonderful to speak with, but Draco quickly grew impatient with the fact that they could speak to each other while the he couldn't understand a thing. Severus had implored to her to keep her snake language skills a secret aside from the five people that had been present in that room when she reported to Albus. While being a parselmouth was a trait that generally passed down from line to line, it wasn't a well-known trait for a female to inherit. Males were generally parselmouthes while the females of the line were generally cursed to several heirs per family. Hermione wasn't sure how this was considered a curse, but she just went with it. Her thoughts were again drawn out of their depths by their arrival at Herbology.

Hermione spread her text and parchment out before her, ready for the lesson to begin. Both boys smiled and shook their heads at her, obviously laughing at the fact that she was far more ready than they were. Professor Sprout swept into the room and began her lecture on the different strains of healing plants and how they were used.

Hermione took detailed notes as always, but felt that both boys had been distracted. She wasn't sure what they were concentrated on, but she supposed it didn't matter. The Gryffindor had a feeling that it had to do with Ron since the redhead was shooting her evil looks. She couldn't think of a single thing that she had done to him recently, but she supposed that breathing would be enough to annoy him.

Hermione tended the healing plant that she had been assigned, sketching it's features clearly and replanting one of the plants successfully. Both boys worked together across from her and they both seemed annoyed. She could only assume it was because they both were rather dirty.

Professor Sprout dismissed class without assigning any homework. While Hermione would normally have been saddened at this, when it came to Herbology, she found herself thankful. It was probably her least favorite subject and she didn't want to have to expend energy on it if she didn't have to.

Both boys took her hand in theirs as they led her towards Charms. Hermione could fully admit that she was avoiding the Slytherins and she appreciated both Harry and Draco for running interference. Since her meeting with her grandfather, the Slytherins had changed how they interacted with Hermione. The whole school had been going on about it, but so far, Hermione had refused to acknowledge or comment on their actions.

Draco had told her that she had been quite the topic in their common room. Gone were the musings that Draco was only using her to gain influence and power. They believed fully now that Draco was fully committed to her and she could only assume that it was because everyone with an informant even remotely close to the Dark Lord had heard what she was capable of doing after she had attacked Thorfinne Rowle. The fact that the Dark Lord had laughed at her actions rather than killing her outright had shown that she was not to be trifled with and that they would not win in a popularity contest judged by Voldemort.

While she had expected this to an extent, the fact that Pansy was now sucking up to her made her sick. The Slytherin girl had invited her three times so far to join her in their common room so she could talk fashion with Hermione. It was almost sad since Pansy seemed to have absolutely no idea that Hermione couldn't give two figs about fashion. Even though Hermione told her that she didn't care a whit about fashion, it didn't stop Pansy, Daphne, and Tracey from inviting her to their common room almost every day.

The boys led her into Charms and she allowed them to sit on either side of her. They were going on about something they had read in the paper regarding quidditch and Hermione could only shake her head in mock exasperation. Truthfully, she couldn't complain. Despite the fact that the pair had been enemies for the whole of their school life, they had managed to scrape out some sort of friendship. She would never be angry about that.

Professor Flitwick entered and all extraneous conversation stopped. Hermione listened to him lecture on the finer details on how banishing charms and summoning charms were different, probably something nobody else was too terribly interested in since they had already mastered both spells. Hermione paid close attention, however, since she knew that her understanding of magic derived from her ability to understand theory. She wasn't like Harry and Draco who learned best based on practical application.

It seemed to be her lucky day since Professor Flitwick didn't assign any homework either. Harry and Draco were both under the impression that the tiny professor felt bad for subjecting them to such a boring lesson that he let them off easy. While she disagreed that the lesson was boring, she silently agreed with their reasoning behind no homework.

The trio left Charms to the stares that accompanied them wherever they went now. As annoying as the stares and whispers were, Hermione had learned to mostly ignore them. The Slytherins had been the ones that bothered her the most since most of their comments had been about Draco using her so she was easily able to ignore the musings of the other three houses.

Hermione didn't get a chance to even leave the Charms corridor before Harry pulled her into an alvove hidden behind a statue of a rather large witch that Hermione had only recalled noticing in passing. She didn't even get a chance to object before her best friend's mouth was on hers.

She loved kissing both Harry and Draco. Hermione had never been one to focus on the physical aspect of a relationship, she had only snogged one of the most famous wizards in the world less than a handful of times after all, but they drove her to the brink of mindlessness. While they had only snogged so far, the attentions of the two boys she was desperately in love with drove her to cast a silencing charm on her bed at night and slip her hand in her knickers to relieve some of her frustrations.

Harry kissed her more aggressively than he usually did; she could only attribute this to the fact that he had been letting her get used to the fact that she was technically with two boys. Draco afforded her no such niceties. He was very aggressive in possessing her mouth and not only bringing her pleasure from his attentions, but taking his own.

Harry's tongue plundered her mouth, tasting every inch of her as he swirled his tongue around hers. She had no control over the whimper that escaped her mouth, quickly swallowed by Harry as he grinned into her mouth. Her whole body was on fire and in need of release, she wanted to explode around her finger more than anything.

Draco moved behind her and Harry pushed her against his chest while the blond let his lips tease the tender flesh under her ear. While she tried to focus on both their attentions, it was near impossible. They put her in a state where she was only able to feel, not think at all.

Before she realized what was happening, Harry pressed her against Draco's chest even harder. His head dipped, catching the tip of her breast in his mouth, dragging a startled gasp of pleasure from her mouth. She couldn't do anything as Harry suckled at her breast through her shirt. Her hands threaded in his hair and held him close, silently praying to whoever was listening that he wouldn't stop.

Draco let his hands wander as his lips nipped and sucked at her neck. His arms wrapped around her waist for a few brief moments before they dropped to her thighs. She almost didn't notice that his hands were slowly but steadily trailing their way back up her skin because Harry was tormenting her sweetly with his tongue and teeth at her breast.

It was a surprise when Draco's hand cupped her mound from behind. Her knees buckled at the overload of sensation, but the arm he had wrapped around her waist kept her upright. His fingers trailed over her slit through her knickers and she couldn't hold back the needy whimper that was lost to both boys.

Harry's tongue was teasing her pebbled flesh and she couldn't find the willpower to pull her fingers out of his messy head of hair. The sounds escaping her lips would have been embarrassing if she could have found it in herself to care. Draco's fingers slipped under her knickers to gather her silky arousal fluid on his fingertips. His talented digits began rubbing insistent little circles around her pleasure pearl in a far more pleasing manner than she was able to.

Harry removed his mouth from her breast so his fingers could start rubbing circles around her nipples that matched Draco's hand almost perfectly. His mouth found her ear, nipping at the lobe before he started speaking.

"Merlin, 'Mi, you feel so good. Do you like Draco's fingers in your cunt? Do you like knowing that we could both stop and leave you with nothing? We would never do that, but the power is heady, knowing that we're in control of your pleasure."

Hermione was mindless, Draco's fingers were driving her higher and higher while Harry was making her pant. The burn deep in her core was hotter than she ever remembered it being when they had snogged and Hermione yearned for release. Harry bit her shoulder before returning to her ear.

"Let go, 'Mi. Give us your release. Squirt all over Draco's hands so I can taste it. I bet you're sweeter than honey."

Hermione couldn't believe that dirty talk was fanning the flames within her, but it was. She was on the verge of exploding, but even being mindless with need and want, she worried what they would think of her when they witnessed her orgasm. She knew that some girls didn't make a mess when they came; Hermione was not one of them. Copious amounts of liquid desire would seep from her hole making the affair quite messy. As if the boys sensed her reluctance, they redoubled their efforts to force an orgasm from her.

Draco's thumb continued it's sweet torture on her clit while he slipped first one finger inside her tight passage, then another. He groaned into her neck.

"Merlin, Princess, your pussy is so fucking tight. Harry, get down here and feel her." Hermione could only whimper when she felt Harry's hand join Draco's and one of his fingers slid inside her along with Draco's. She briefly considered the fact that she had two men's hands inside her and how that made her a scarlet woman of some sort, but it was quickly dismissed when her orgasm could finally be denied no longer.

Her world exploded and she hoped that one of the boys had thought to cast a silencing charm on their alcove. She had never been one to be quiet about her orgasms. Harry used his free hand to tweak one of her nipples roughly while she was still convulsing around their fingers. This sent a new wave of pleasure screaming through her body, buckling her knees.

Both boys kept hold of her, keeping her upright. Ever so slowly, they removed their fingers from inside her and she watched Harry stick his fingers in his mouth. He closed his eyes in what appeared to be ecstasy and she had a feeling that Draco was doing the same behind her. Her face burned with embarrassment as she watched Harry suck his fingers clean.

He leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers once more, forcing her lips open so she could taste herself on his tongue. Without warning, Harry spun her and Draco did the same, his tongue plundering her mouth ruthlessly. When he finally gentled the kiss, he caught her chin in his fingers.

"Do you like tasting yourself on our tongues?" She knew she was bright red, but with him holding her the way he was, she couldn't avoid the question. Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Yes." It was the truth. While she couldn't say that she loved the taste, she could certainly say that she didn't hate it.

"Did you like squirting all over our hands?" Hermione felt a lick of shame and jerked her chin from his grip so she could look downwards.

"You don't have to make fun of me, I know I'm not like the other girls you two have been with." She tried to leave the alcove, but wasn't able to because Harry had clamped his arms around her waist. He hugged her close from behind while Draco cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"Princess, we loved that you came for us. Most men love it when a girl makes a mess, it turns us on. Please don't be embarrassed." She wasn't entirely sure that he was telling the truth, but she nodded her head. Only time would tell she supposed. Harry kissed the side of her head.

"That was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen. We definitely need to do this more often."

Hermione chuckled slightly and both boys released her. She straightened her skirt and attempted to arrange her curls to where they didn't look like they had been yanked on. All in all, she thought she did a fair job.

Hermione let them lead her out of the alcove they were located in. Draco motioned for her to take their hands. With a happy and sated sigh, she allowed the pair to pull her down the corridor to lunch.

-O-

Draco was in what the muggles called heaven. Hermione and Harry had explained the concept to him and he was certain that if the place really existed, he was there.

Hermione had been wonderful. The soft skin of her neck had felt so delicious under his teeth and her belly taut before his hands had wandered lower. Her pussy had been so slick and her channel so tight. He had blown his load in his pants when she finally came and he suspected that Potter had as well. They had shared an embarrassed look between them, Hermione completely clueless.

He had simply cast a discreet cleansing charm on himself and he suspected that Potter had done the same thing. When Hermione had exploded around his finger and Harry's, Draco had been surprised at Hermione's reaction. She had soaked their hands with her fluids and Draco had loved it. All the girls that he had been with never shed a drop of fluid and he had always wished that they had. Now that he knew Hermione was a squirter, he loved her even more.

The taste of her arousal fluid had been musky, tangy, and sweet. If Draco could have gotten away with spreading her legs and feasting on her pussy, he would have. As it was, however, he didn't think that she would allow it. She had been terribly embarrassed at the mess that she had made despite the fact that he and Harry had obviously loved it. He had tried to settle her insecurities, but he wasn't sure that that would happen with just his words. They would have to progress slowly and show her that she turned them on and that they loved her flooding the bed.

They were currently making their way through the corridors towards the Great Hall. Lunch was already half way over, but he knew that they needed to eat a little something before they braved Defense Against the Dark Arts. Umbridge would most likely be a useless cunt and they would have to refrain themselves from acting on impulse. Draco found this was getting more difficult and he blamed it on Harry and Hermione. They were bad influences.

The trio entered the Great Hall to their normal whispers. While Slytherin House had fallen silent in their whispers and rumors, the other three houses seemed to be running rampant almost as if they were making up for the loss of the snakes. The fact that the snakes were sucking up now made him sick. Pansy and Daphne were doing their level best to suck up to Hermione and make her their friend which he knew for a fact would never happen. Not only had the two been horrid to her their whole school career, the only reason they were being nice now was because the Dark Lord had made it quite clear that Hermione was allowed to get away with murder.

For three days, the buzz around the common room had been about how Hermione had attacked Rowle when he had spoken against her. Every detail was discussed from the fact that she had performed wandless, wordless magic to the fact that Rowle had almost died while the Dark Lord had merely laughed. As a result, not only did the snake den as a whole treat Hermione a thousand times better, they afforded the same luxury to Harry, an idea that Draco couldn't blame them for implementing.

The trio sat at the lion's table. While Slytherin would have welcomed them with open arms, it would have seemed fake and Hermione would have hated it. While everyone at the Gryffindor table seemed to hate them being there, Draco could at least admit that they were honest in their hatred. They didn't pretend to approve and they sure didn't sensor their comments. As irritated as this made Draco, he could appreciate that at the Gryffindor table they knew exactly where they stood.

They all served themselves some food, roast beef and potatoes this time. The Weasel was three or four people down and he was shoveling food in his mouth at an alarming rate. Even though Draco had hated Weasley for years, his eating habits had turned him off clear back in first year.

Lunch passed by with no incident until right before the final bell. Hermione had pushed her plate away long ago and Harry and Draco had just recently done so. Hermione had been waiting patiently, looking over the chapter they were to cover in DADA. Lavender had leaned over into Hermione's personal space, and whispered in her ear.

"Did he dirty talk you? Harry was always so good at that. You have a just-shagged look about you and I just wanted to make sure that he treated you to the whole package." Draco blanched at their words while Hermione teared up, but quickly hid she spoke, her voice was haughty.

"Harry doesn't have to do anything to me because we've decided to take it slow. I'm not an easy slag." Lavender leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at Hermione.

"Are you trying to insinuate that Pav and I are loose with men?" Hermione sneered her way.

"Give the lion a prize. Everyone knows you two are loose, why do you think so many boys like you? It isn't because of your stimulating conversation skills." Draco and Harry couldn't help but snort in amusement at her words. While they both felt bad for the attention that they were receiving because of their last sexual experiences, both boys knew that nobody was going to leave Hermione alone until she drew blood and even that was no guarantee. Parvati jumped in and tried to help her friend.

"We may be known with the boys through the school, but we've never sunk to the low of having two boys at once." He could see that she wanted to retort with the comment that she hadn't been with two boys at once, but even he could agree that that was no longer the truth. Throwing a glare at the two Gryffindors, Draco leaned over and kissed the side of her head.

"Don't worry, Princess. Neither one of them has ever had the option of having two handsome men take care of all their needs. If it has happened, it's because they were raped by the desperate." Hermione tried to fight the giggle that bubbled up from within her, but she wasn't able. The slag twins glared at her when her laughter finally became apparent. They rose quickly and stalked out of the same door that they generally used to go to Divination. Draco couldn't help but chuckle and snort at their performance.

The rest of the meal passed with no interruptions and no drama. The trio left to the same whispers they had arrived with. They traversed the corridors in near silence and although Draco couldn't tell for sure, he was worried that Hermione was second guessing herself due to their actions before the meal. This led to Draco pulling Hermione and Harry to a stop outside of Defense class.

"Don't overthink things, Hermione. We both care for you more than we care for ourselves. Please don't think less of yourself after what we did." He hadn't been entirely sure just what to say exactly, but this seemed to be the right thing. Her face cleared and her eyes hardened.

"I won't tolerate anymore shite from either of your exes. If you two are with me, I'm going to make sure that everyone knows it."

Draco somewhat liked the idea of his girlfriend fending off his exes so she could have him all to herself. Well, and Potter, but that didn't seem to be such a deal breaker anymore. Today especially had proven that not only were they not jealous of the other, they were able to bring their mate to incredible heights together. No matter what any man said, his greatest pleasure was bringing pleasure to the girl he was shagging.

Both Draco and Harry nodded their agreement to her statement before they grabbed her hand and led her into Defense. While Draco was certain that Umbridge would play nicely (he knew for a fact that Pansy had told the High Inquisitor exactly what had happened in his family home), he also couldn't discount the fact that Dolores Umbridge was a fucking idiot.

The trio sat at a table together and waited for their incompetent professor to arrive. While Draco enjoyed having just one class that he didn't have to try in, he knew that this was the class that could save not only his life, but Hermione's and Potter's. Slacking in this class could be detrimental to their health and he found that he truly did want to learn.

Professor Umbridge entered the classroom and bid them to open their texts to page sixteen. Draco could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't pleased with something, but he had no idea what. Today's lesson was over vampire bats and their uses in Defense, but Draco knew that the lesson was a waste of their time.

They were instructed to read silently before copying the lesson from the text book. It seemed completely pointless, but since their grades depended on it, Draco cast a simple copying charm. He had no problems remembering what he read so why should he wear his hand out copying the text word for word? As much as Hermione and Harry both liked to say that they were die hard lions, it was apparent they had strong snake tendencies when he realized both of them had done the same thing as he had.

All three moved on to their homework from the day before. While Draco didn't consider himself near as anal as Hermione, he appreciated the fact that when he studied with her they were always several days ahead of their classes. When Umbridge came around and saw the three of them working on Transfiguration, she couldn't bite back her retort.

"Have you three finished my assignment or are you choosing to do it at a later time?" Hermione looked to be biting her tongue so Draco figured it would probably be smart to let her bite back her cheeky response.

"We all have finished your assignment, Professor. We decided to catch up on other homework so we wouldn't distrub the class." She gave an approving sniff before she moved on. Draco sighed in relief. Hermione hadn't lost her temper and Harry hadn't scored detention. It was win in all directions today.

Class was dismissed with nothing bad happening for once. While Draco was sure that both Hermione and Harry had been dying to say something snide and rude to the High Inquisitor, it really would have been a bad idea.

The trio went to dinner together and Draco found himself once again at the lion's table. While he truly did hate it there, it made more sense for him to move rather than Harry and Hermione. Besides, the lions were far more honest than the other houses would have been.

Dinner passed without incident unless you count the Weasel stuffing himself to the point of making himself sick. While Lavender and Parvati had insisted that he go to the Hospital Wing, Ginny and the twins had reassured all the professors that their brother was a pig and had simply over ate. Draco had then hoped against hope that someone had poisoned him and as a result of not receiving medical care, he would die. No such luck though.

Once dinner was finished Harry and Draco snagged Hermione's hand and gave her a meaningful look before pulling her towards the dungeon. Now that Draco had heard the story, he could understand why she was worried about her father finding the memory of her helping his cousin escape. While Severus had never been close to Black, however, Draco rather hoped that he could handle her role in his escape like an adult.

The three entered Severus' office when he called for them to enter. The look he gave them was hard to read, but Draco thought that it meant that he was pleased with their arrival. While he had studied occlumency all summer, he still didn't consider himself past the level of "passable". Harry and Hermione had never been tested before so he was sure that they were still terrible. Draco couldn't help but be nervous for all three of them, but he showed nothing of his emotions. Severus settled them into desks before him before he began speaking.

"Occlumency is the art of protecting one's mind from invasion."

The three of them listened for an hour before Severus finally admitted that there was nothing else they could learn via lecture. Draco had been one hundred percent correct when he had spoke to Hermione on the subject. The art of occlumency was learned through practice.

Severus told them to take their time and give him the best show they could of clearing their minds. Draco had actually mastered this step fairly quickly; it was learning to hide the memories that you didn't want seen that was difficult. Since Draco was the most experienced of the three, he offered to go first.

Severus settled in front of him and removed his wand from his sleeve. He pointed it at Draco's face and cast wordlessly. Draco was one hundred percent ready. When his mother had taught him, she had instructed him to organize his mind in such a way that nobody could see just what it was that he was hiding. Therefore, his method had always been organizing his mind into a library and burying his private thoughts within a book that was in his massive library. Maybe not the most conventional of methods, but it worked. When Severus removed himself from Draco's mind, he had only broke a slight sweat.

"Very good, Draco. A most useful way of hiding information." Draco simply nodded and moved from the seat before Severus. Potter seemed to notice how nervous Hermione was so he sat down before the older Slytherin before she could. Severus raised an eyebrow Harry's way and spoke.

"Clear your mind of emotion and try to hide from me the night that I caught you out after curfew your third year." Harry gave a quick nod before focusing entirely on whatever method he was using. Severus held his wand aloft for almost ten minutes before he finally lowered it and gave the approximation of a smirk in Harry's direction.

"Not bad for a first time, Mr. Potter. While I did find the memory eventually, you held me off for an impressive amount of time. I would suggest, however, that rather than a maze in your mind, you lock your memories in a trunk, theoretically speaking, and then hide the trunk in one of the walls of the maze. Or something similair of your choosing. Ultimately, it won't last for forever against someone who truly wants to break into your mind, but the level of energy they would have to put into breaking through your barriers would alert you to their invasion." Harry nodded and Draco was personally impressed. Both Harry and Hermione were so emotional that he truly figured that they would find occlumency extremely difficult.

Draco watched as Harry stood and took his place next to the blond, allowing Hermione to take the seat free in front of her father. She looked extremely nervous and Draco watched in silence as Severus reached forward and took her hand.

"Why are you so nervous?" She grasped his hand, but spoke anyways even though her voice trembled.

"I'm afraid you'll hate me after what you see." Severus chuckled and stroked the top of her knuckles with his thumb.

"You mean the fact that you set my robes on fire, you stole from my private stores, you helped Black escape the dementors, and you helped Potter train for the Tournament in private? I saw it all in 's mind and I don't hate you at all." A grin broke out on her face.

"Really?" He gave her a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth.

"Really really. Now ready yourself, sweet. You have five seconds." It was as if Severus had given her a confidence boost in the two minutes that they had spoken. In a way, Draco figured that he had.

Severus sat in front of Hermione for almost three-quarters of an hour before he finally lowered his wand and sighed. He raked his hand through his lank hair as he spoke.

"You shouldn't be that good for someone who's never even practiced occlumency before. Where did you learn that technique?" Draco watched as Hermione shrugged. They had piqued his interest now.

"I couldn't come up with a plausible way of hiding information without making it obvious. Therefore, I decided to just obscure it in plain sight." Severus shot her a dirty look.

"It was very effective." Draco couldn't keep quiet.

"How did you keep him out?" Hermione seemed to remember that they weren't alone and blushed slightly before answering.

"I didn't hide anything. I left my mind wide open. I just buried everything I wanted to hide in a sea of useless facts that I've read. Excerpts from books, facts from muggle stories, conversations from my childhood. I literally flooded him with so much information that he couldn't find the information he wanted." It was Harry that spoke.

"That's brilliant. Like hiding in plain sight." She gave them a wide grin before continuing on in conversation with Severus.

The trio were there for another hour before Severus had deemed that they had practiced enough for the night. They were given the homework assignment of clearing their minds before sleep for the next three days before they met again. Draco hooked an arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her out the door of Severus' office only to be startled by another Slytherin sitting outside the door waiting for them.

-O-

Hermione was beyond pleased with herself. Not only had her father not been angry with her over her past shenanigans, he had also taken nearly forty-five minutes before finally giving up on discovering her hidden memories. To say that the evening had been a success would have been an understatement. She allowed Draco and Harry to pull her out of her father's office after pressing a kiss to his cheek in their haste. She needed to schedule a day just spent with her father in the near future. Hermione was startled when she realized that there was another Slytherin waiting for them just outside her father's office. Draco's voice was hard when he spoke.

"What are you doing here, Theo?" The sandy-haired Slytherin shrugged, half smirk on his face.

"Hermione is my half-sister. I think it's time we had a discussion about it." Hermione had been playing with the concept of a relationship with her brother for awhile and though she wasn't sure if she could trust him now, she realized that she wanted to see if she could. Before Draco or Harry could step forward and play the protective boyfriend, she turned to them both and took their hands in hers.

"This conversation has to happen. You've seen what I'm capable of. Besides, I don't think he'll harm me." Both stared at her for several seconds before they both leaned forward and pressed a kiss to each of her cheeks. Draco fingered one of her curls before he spoke.

"If you need me, just ask any Slytherin and they'll let you in our common room." She smiled at him before she kissed him softly on the mouth and turning to Harry. He tugged the same errant curl that Draco had played with.

"You know where to find me if you need me." She nodded and kissed his cheeks as well. Both boys turned on their heels and headed in opposite directions. It was times like this that Hermione wished they were all in the same house. When she turned back to Theo, he gestured for her to follow him into one of the empty classrooms across the corridor from them.

Once the door was closed, silenced, and warded behind them, Hermione took a deep breath and faced her brother. He seemed just as nervous as she did, which surprised her. Slytherins weren't known for showing emotions. She spoke before thinking it through.

"You weren't going to be put in Slytherin, were you?" He looked surprised at how candid she was so she continued.

"The hat told me I also would do well in Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I begged to not be a snake because I knew I'd never know a moment's peace because I was a muggleborn." Her brother snorted.

"No, the hat wanted to put me in Ravenclaw. I begged for Slytherin so my father wouldn't torture me when I came home for the hols." She nodded. The information didn't really surprise her. Theo sat down in one of the empty desks.

"So you're my sister." Hermione sat down facing him.

"You're my brother." Theo nodded.

"Who stole you?" Hermione wondered how much she should tell him. While she knew that her grandfather had told his followers, she was unsure of how much would trickle down the line to their children. After a few moments, she decided that if anyone deserved the truth it was her brother.

"Dumbledore. He stole me, bound my magic, placed glamour charms on me, and tampered with a muggle couple's memories so they would think I was theirs." Theo's eyes widened at her revelation so she continued on, determined to get all the awkward conversation out of the way.

"How much do you hate me? Everyone has told me that our mother died during childbirth with you because she was brokenhearted that I'd been taken." Theo snorted.

"You were a month old when one of the most powerful wizards in the world decided to steal you. I'm mad at Dumbledore, not you." This lifted her heart and for some odd reason, she believed him. She gave him a small smile.

"Do you want to be my brother?" He cocked his head to one side for a moment. He sounded unsure when he answered.

"I'm not sure how to be a brother. I've been an only child my whole life." She nodded.

"So have I. That doesn't mean we can't try." A full smile broke across his features for the first time.

"I'd like that. My father and I don't get along very well so it would be nice to have someone else to call family." She stood from her desk and made sure she met his eyes.

"How about we meet in the library tomorrow and work on Arithmancy? We'll start out small." He nodded his head resolutely.

"Six o'clock." She gave him another smile before she let herself out of the classroom.

She wasn't sure how it would turn out, hanging out with her brother, but at least she would know either way.

A/N- This chapter took a couple more days, but I've got caught up in the show Shameless and the story Riddle This. It's been rough, lol. Thanks for being patient, I hope this chapter makes y'all happy! Let me know what ya think.

Next up, Molly discovers that Harry, Hermione, and Draco are now a triad.

Love,

Alicia


	16. Chapter 16

A/N- I'm so sorry for the wait, y'all, I've had a lot of shit going on in real life. Pulling overtime, moving Grandpa out of the nursing home, getting Grandma settled after getting out of the hospital, getting my daughter to and from her surgery appointments, finding time to write has been difficult. Anyways, thanks for continuing to support me and reviewing, it means so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of this story except for maybe my own personal twist on the plot. The characters belong to J.K.R.

Chapter 16

November 3, 1995

Harry was doing his best to get all his food ate before the bell for classes rang. He had overslept this morning, waking to Hermione hitting him over the head with his second pillow. As much as he had wanted to skip his shower, he wasn't able. He and Draco had went flying together the night before and he had fallen asleep before showering.

There had been so much going on in the last week or so that Harry had been exhausted. Between homework, quidditch practice, devising strategies for their upcoming match, spending time with Hermione and Draco, and occlumency lessons, Harry wasn't getting much sleep. Hermione told him time and time again that he needed to go to sleep when he spent time with her, but he didn't want her to feel like she wasn't one of his priorities. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it was what it was.

Three days prior, Harry and Draco had taken Hermione into the Forbidden Forest. It had taken them almost an hour to find a random breed of snake, but Hermione had instantly began conversing back and forth with it. While Harry could understand exactly what they were saying, he hadn't joined in the conversation so Draco wouldn't get irritated. While the blond had come a long ways, he could still be petulant if he didn't get his way. Sometimes, it just wasn't worth the argument.

Hermione was now confident in her parselmouth skills. She hadn't seemed to have any problems speaking the language, and there were no issues with her understanding it. She had actually caught on far quicker than he had and Harry attributed that to the fact that she was smarter than him on just about everything. He and Draco had finally congratulated her two hours later after she had learned the snake's life history and they had fallen asleep against a rock. Regardless of how bored he had been, he had been proud of her.

The bell ringing throughout the Great Hall pulled Harry out of his thoughts. He laid down the last couple bites of toast and gathered his things. Draco and Hermione were doing the same next to him. Draco had continued to sit with them at the Gryffindor table since the original blow up from Ron. While he didn't think that Draco loved it there or the company, he did seem happier that he could be near Hermione.

The other Gryffindors were not what Harry would call accepting, but they didn't scowl and call Draco names any longer when he sat down. He mostly laid this improvement at the feet of the twins and Ginny. While everyone else seemed to genuinely hate the Slytherin, the three Weasleys weren't what he would call friendly, but they were definitely civil.

Harry was in his own world and thoughts so he didn't blame Hermione and Draco for talking softly between them. When he tuned into their conversation, he discovered that it was actually about their occlumency lesson that evening. The blond was so keen to imitate Hermione's method of keeping Snape out, but he just couldn't manage it. Draco's shields always fell while Hermione's held stronger than ever.

Their girlfriend was currently trying to convince him to just go back to his method from before, telling him that it seemed to serve him better. Personally, Harry felt the library idea was a great one, but who was he to tell Draco how best to guard his mind?

His shields had improved. They still weren't as good as Hermione's, but that wasn't really a surprise. His method wasn't quite as sophisticated as his other two counterparts. He had taken Snape's advice and locked his memories in a box and stashed it inside the hedge of a large and complex maze. The professor told him that he had already made marked improvement and was only slightly behind Draco in the development of his shield.

Harry personally didn't think that Voldemort would use legilimency on any of the three of them. He obviously wanted Hermione on his side desperately and Harry didn't think that he was going to do anything to jeopardize that. He still had every intention of learning occlumency to the fullest extent, but he couldn't help but think that it would mostly be for nothing. Draco had told him he was an idiot, but he supposed they would just have to wait and see.

They entered Defense Against the Dark Arts with the rest of their classmates. All three of them had become increasingly irritated with the fact that they weren't learning any real defense. Their methods of learning continued to be copying their text and then summarizing it in what could be called an essay. It was a complete waste of time and Harry couldn't help but think that the Ministry didn't want anyone able to defend themselves.

Professor Umbridge glared at him as she passed through the aisles while they were copying their text. He couldn't use the copying spell when she was looking, but as soon as she had passed, Harry was quick to copy another couple pages. He knew for a fact that Hermione and Draco did the same thing. While it was probably considered cheating, Harry comforted himself with the thought that he wouldn't have to copy anything if they had a proper teacher.

The three of them handed in their assignment before the end of class. They always mamaged to finish first and it was met with suspicion. The witch was simply too scared to engage Hermione in a conversation or to even ask her if she had been copying the text versus writing it out. It suited the three of them just fine. Harry supposed he owed Pansy Parkinson for keeping the hag up to date on their situation.

They worked on homework until the bell rang. Thanks to always studying and doing homework with Hermione and Draco, Harry's grades were at an all-time high. He still struggled with some of the subjects, but he didn' really feel like he was too far behind the other two. He knew that they were very intellectual and he wasn't so he counted where he was academically at the current time a win.

The three of them made their way to Potions next. Snape still insisted that the room split in two, Gryffindor to the left and Slytherin to the right. Harry and Hermione were usually joined by Neville while Draco took a seat with Theo and Blaise. Potions was still one of the subjects that he struggled in, but since Snape had discovered that Hermione was his daughter, Harry didn't think that the comments on his essays were quite as scathing. He held no illusions that the older Slytherin liked him. Harry sure couldn't say that he liked Snape either. It seemed, however, that they had reached the same conclusion that if they openly hated each other as before, it would put Hermione in the middle and she would only end up hurt.

Hermione led both Harry and Neville through the brewing of a simple potion that Hermione said incited forgetfulness. He followed directions much the same as Neville. While he knew he could be of more help, it was easier to just let Hermione take charge because Neville truly was terrible at potions.

Hermione assured them that their potion looked perfect before she turned it in. The bell rang shortly after that so Harry gathered up his text and put it back in his bag. He waited patiently for both Hermione and Draco, it always seemed to take them longer to gather their supplies. Harry figured it was probably because they were much neater about stowing away their supplies than he was.

After leaving the potions classroom, Harry slipped an arm around Hermione's waist and pulled her close so he could kiss her neck. Her sharp intake of breath was enough of a reward for him. Draco grinned from her other side and moved to copy his actions.

The three of them strolled the corridors lazily since they were finished with classes for the day. He knew that Hermione had made plans to study in the library with Theo once he was out of his afternoon class. Harry and Draco had both made plans to go flying while she spent time with her brother. She hadn't said much about the subject of her brother, but Harry could tell that she enjoyed having someone else to call family.

They finally reached the Great Hall and the Gryffindor table was already full. Ginny and the twins saw them coming and scooted down so there would be plenty of room for the three off them. Hermione instantly started chattering with Ginny about Harry wasn't sure what. The twins made small talk with Harry and Draco while they piled food onto their plates.

Harry should have seen it coming from a mile away. He should have figured that something like this was going to happen. Hindsight was 20/20 they said, and for once, Harry agreed. An owl swooped down at the Gryffindor table and Harry recognized it at the same moment that everyone else did. Ginny spoke excitedly.

"That's Errol! Wonder why he didn't bring us our mail this morning." Fred snorted.

"He probably got lost on the way to the castle. He isn't a spring chicken anymore." The bird squawked in annoyance and tried to nip at Fred's hand. He obviously had practice at dodging the bird's attentions, leaning out of the way just in time. George detached the red letter from Errol's foot and gave them all a look of trepidation.

"It's for Hermione. It's from Mum and I think it's a howler." Harry wanted to tell Hermione to not even bother opening it, to just have one of the elves come dispose of it, but she steeled herself and reached out. As soon as her hand touched the parchment, the letter opened and Molly Weasley's voice started screaming. The whole of the Great Hall went silent and everyone listened.

"You are despicable, Hermione! I took you into my home and allowed you to sit at my table and eat my food, all for you to turn on my son and lead Harry down a dark path! I've heard you're opening your legs for Harry and that Death Eater scum Malfoy and it's a disgrace! You're going to get Harry killed in his sleep by the Malfoy boy and then where will you be? Alone in the world, no money, no family, no friends, and living in a world that doesn't want you. All I can say is you deserve everything you get! Fred, George, Ginny, I've heard you're still friends with this loose witch, and I can assure you that if this continues, you'll have no place at home."

Harry stiffened. Draco instantly wrapped an arm around her waist and Harry smiled inwardly. Whoever said the blond wasn't good with emotions was full of shit. The three Weasleys next to them were awestruck, still and silent in the wake of their mother's words. Harry seemed numb, as if everything around him was happening far off in the distance.

The High Table was silent, but when Harry met the eyes of Professor Snape, he could see the fury burning in their black depths. After a span of only several seconds, he rose from his seat and swept out of the Great Hall, robes billowing dramatically behind him. The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors were now whispering amongst themselves and Harry knew that rumors would spread like wildfire.

It was the Slytherins that surprised Harry the most. Most looked extremely unhappy. While he was sure that it was simply because they knew Hermione was Voldemort's granddaughter, he had to admit that it was somewhat nice having the sneakiest students in the school on their side.

Harry stood and held his hand out to Hermione. He would be damned if he made her hang around the Great Hall for people to stare and point at. She gave him a tremulous smile amd took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. Draco gathered their bags and returned his arm around her waist while Harry wound his around her shoulders.

They had made it all of five steps before the Slytherins closest to Draco stood and made their way to their side. Theo gave Hermione a smile as he brushed hair from her forehead and hugged her, stopping their progression out of the Hall. Even Harry understood that not only had Theo just publicly declared his support of Hermione and in turn, her relationship, most of Draco's friends had as well.

Shrugging his shoulders, he followed the snakes out of the Great Hall.

-O-

Hermione was numb. There was no other way to describe how she felt.

The Gryffindor shouldn't have been surprised as to Molly's words, Ron had always been her favorite after all, but that howler had completely blindsided her. She had figured the Weasley matriarch would snub her at Grimmauld Place, that she would make snide comments or fill her children's heads full of lies, but she had done none of those things. She had mortified Hermione in front of the entirety of the school and threatened her children with the streets.

While she wanted to stay and make sure that Fred, George, and Ginny were alright, Hermiome wasn't even able to articulate the words needed to ask them. She had allowed Harry to guide her to her feet and pull her towards the entrance. She had been beyond surprised when her brother and the rest of Draco's friends had closed ranks around the three of them, openly declaring their loyalty.

Of course, Hermione knew that it was only because she was their precious Dark Lord's granddaughter and they feared punishment, but the gesture still wasn't lost on her. In a room that was filled with whispers about her, a handful of snakes showing her their loyalty was more than welcome. She hadn't managed to catch her father's attention since he had left the table by the time she thought to find him at the High Table, but she knew she would probably hear plenty that evening at their occlumency lesson.

Once outside, Draco pulled them to a stop so he could address his friends.

"Thank you, all of you. Your support was appreciated." Theo drifted forward and hugged her this time instead of brushing hair from her face. She buried her face in his shoulder as Zabini answered.

"Think nothing of it. Snakes stick together and despite the fact that the both of them are technically lions, they've been embraced into our circle. Nobody treats Slytherins like that and gets away with it." Goyle actually spoke, surprising Hermione.

"Do we need to put a hit out on the Weasleys?" Hermione felt a lurch of fear at his words.

"Absolutely not! So far, Ronald and Molly are the only ones who have any misgivings when it comes to me. Fred, George, and Ginny have supported me and taken my side over their brother's. If anything befalls them, I will be most unhappy." None of the snakes looked happy, but they nodded their agreement to her words. Theo pulled away and gave her a small smile as he spoke.

"Are we still on for studying after I finish Divination?" Hermione gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Yes, I'll see you in the library. Thank you all, I appreciate you so much."

Pansy, Daphne, and Millicent whimpered, but there wasn't anything Hermione could do to stop that. She had known that embracing the girls would likely make her want to puke, especially since Draco had shagged both of them, but she have them a grateful smile nonetheless.

The Slytherins melted away and Hermione let the boys lead her outside. It was extremely chilly, but Draco conjured her a heavy woolen cloak that kept her plenty warm. She tried to distract herself with thoughts of her boys going flying later that evening and it warmed her heart. She knew they would compete against each other for the House Cup, it always came down to Slytherin and Gryffindor, but the fact that they would put it all aside and embrace that they were actually friends now made her warm and gooey inside.

The pair led her down to the Black Lake. While she would have loved to get personal and intimate with both her boyfriends any day at the lake, they seemed to sense that today was different. Not only had she been accused of being a whore, she had been accused of being a traitor, handing Harry over to someone that everyone assumed would hurt him. At first, Hermione could admit that she had worried. However, both boys had went out of their way to try their hands at friendship so they could make a triad between them work. Hermione was forever grateful; she would have never been able to choose and if she had been forced, she would have been forever regretful.

She let the pair of them settle her under her favorite willow tree before turning her towards the conversation of what she wanted to do. Draco pointed out a wonderful point that the rest of Slytherin would hardly be quiet, but they could afford to keep a few things between themselves. Hermione told herself that if things came up about the Weasleys in the next meeting with Voldemort, she would save everyone except those who had specifically gone against her.

Hermione unloaded the absolute pain she felt at being rejected by the Weasley family onto her two suitors. While she tried to portray that she felt no embarrassment at their predicament she wasn't quite sure that that was how she felt. She was embarrassed; not so much by the people and the timing in and of their relationship, but by the publicity and hounding of her relationships to others.

The trio spent an enjoyable hour and a half out by the lake. There was no groping, no kissing, but there was cuddling and snuggling galore. She kind of laughed to herself when she imagined what others would say if she told them that Harry and Draco both cuddled with her at the same time. She knew their relationship was unconventional, but it was what it was and she wouldn't change it for the world.

When the bell rang, both boys demanded that they take her inside so she could meet with Theo rather than leave her to make her own way through the castle to the library. She chuckled at their insistence, telling them that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. Both boys had simply chuckled to themselves, kissed the side of her head, and went about their way of leading her through the corridors to the library.

Most of the students they passed either whispered or pointed. It broke Hermione's heart to think that the rest of the family hated her as much as Molly did. While he nowhere near her own father, Hermione had always held Arthur in high esteem. She loved conversing with him about muggles and their ways of doing things. Bill and Charlie both had been kind to her and she hoped that their mother's way of thinking hadn't poisoned them against her as well.

This led her to wonder if Sirius and Remus knew of their triad relationship. She hadn't specifically told them so she asked Harry if he had spoken to either man in regards to his relationship status. He had given her a slight grin before telling her that he had written both men the day after she had agreed and was happy to report that both men had nothing negative to say about their choices. Hermione looked at both Marauders as uncles she never had so the fact that they had nothing negative to report was a wonderful developement.

Both boys dropped her at the library with dire warnings of calling for them as soon as possible if they were needed. She promised that she would, although she doubted they would be needed. Theo would be joining her in just a few minutes and she could admit that she was excited.

Things between the pair of them had been going swimmingly. There had been a brief awkward period, but it had been overcome during their first study period together. She had learned that his father, Thoros Nott, had hated her since she had been borne to his wife and hadn't belonged to him. Theo assured her that he understood now why it had happened, but that didn't stop the feeling of resentment that his wife had been forced to take another man into her bed.

Looking back, Hermione probably shouldn't have snorted at her brother's words. When he had gotten angry over her lack of understanding at his father's anger at sharing his wife, she had pointed out how their mother had had to deal with their father raping innocent muggles and muggleborn. He had known other women in their marriage and he had no right to be angry that she had known another man upon request of their Lord.

Theo had looked contemplative about this facet of his parent's relationship. It was obvious that he had never considered that outlook and that made Hermione sad. He had seemed surprised when she told him that she would demand fidelity from anyone that she dated and if they didn't want to abide by her request, she would walk.

Theo had shared his worries about Draco abiding by her request. He had watched his parents be unfaithful to each other through the years and had taken it as normal. After his words, Hermione had broached the subject with both Draco and Harry. It had been horribly awkward, but had turned out well in the end. Both boys had assured her that they didn't want another woman in their lives and that they would break it off with her if they decided that they did. She could admit that she was grateful.

Theo took the seat next to her, his bag landing on the table in front of him so he could remove all his books and notes. He flashed her a smile as he gathered his things together into a semblance of order.

"Do you feel better? You seemed a little out of sorts after the message." She gave him an embarrassed smile.

"I was very shocked that Molly would take it to that level. I'm a little better now, but I suspect that dinner is going to be a new level of hell." He gave her an indulgent smile before he opened his text.

"I'm quite sure it will be terrible, but Potter and Draco will be at your side. It won't be near as bad as if you were alone." She nodded her agreement.

The pair settled into a silence while they gathered books they needed for their homework assignments. Hermione had Ancient Runes and Arithmancy to work on, while Theo had Transfiguaration and Care of Magical Creatures.

Hermione was able to finish all her homework assignments and also started into the next week of assignments in Transfiguration and Charms. Theo just shook his head in good-natured humor as he watched her move forward in her studies.

When they finally quit for dinner, Theo flashed her a smile as they gathered their belongings and packed them away. Theo offered her his arm as they left the library and Hermione flashed him a smile as she took it. They strolled through the corridors on their way to the Great Hall, both chatting quietly about nothing in particular.

The pair entered the Great Hall and the whole room fell silent. Hermione tried not to let it bother her, but she truly couldn't help it. She felt like all eyes were on her and she couldn't do anything to avert their gaze elsewhere. Theo threw an arm around her shoulders and started to pull her forward. What she really wanted to do was bolt for her common room, but she supposed that she should display the famed traits of her house and move forward even though she didn't want to.

Harry and Draco were already there and both held their hands out for her to join them. The rest of Gryffindor House was sneering in her direction. It was as if the opinion of Molly Weasley had swayed them all into hating her once more. She took her seat between the two boys before Theo pressed a kiss to the top of her head and made his way to his own table. Ginny, Fred, and George all watched her quietly as if they were waiting for an explosion. George was the one who finally spoke.

"Hermione, we want you to know that we aren't planning on not being your friend. We're lions and that means were loyal. You're our friend and you'll remain that way as long as you want to continue." Her heart melted at his words, but she couldn't allow them to make this decision.

"I can't let you three do that. Your mother threatened you with not being able to come home. I know how important family is to you and I don't want to be the reason behind breaking your family apart." Ginny grinned at her.

"I would usually agree, but we owled Dad after lunch. He didn't know a thing about the howler she sent you and he's so embarrassed. Only the patriarch of the family can cast people out and he said he has no plans of doing so if we continue our friendship with you. He doesn't hate you and he thinks that Ron could do with a strong dose of reality." Hermione felt her heart swell at her words.

"Really? He doesn't hate me?" Ginny shook her head.

"Nope, as far as Dad's concerned, you're still his second daughter." Hermione allowed a single tear to spill over her lashes before she got herself under control. Weakness wasn't something she could afford to show at the moment. The three Weasleys noticed and all of them went to their feet so they could rush her in a huge hug. It almost pulled her off the bench seat and onto the floor causing Hermione to laugh quietly.

The rest of dinner passed pleasantly despite the fact that whispers were flying around the Great Hall like mad. Both she and Draco had served their patrol time the night before so they had a solid few hours before they had to be in their common rooms. While she would much rather spend the time snogging her boyfriends, she understood that they needed to make an effort when it came to occlumency.

The trio left dinner together and meandered their way through the corridors down to the dungeons. While this may have seemed suspicious any other time, Slytherins were the only people who frequented the dark and dank corridors and they would understand perfectly well that she was visiting her father.

Her father admitted them into his quarters with little fanfare. Once they were safely ensconced in the comfort of his rooms, he turned to Hermione, concern painting his features.

"Are you alright after lunch? I wanted to come find you, but I had a letter to send." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him before she floated into the circle of his arms. She buried her face in his robes and inhaled the comforting scent of potions. His arms came around her and held her close.

"What exactly did you do? It's obvious you did something." He snorted as he fingered the ends of her curls.

"I sent the fucking bitch an owl." She couldn't recall ever hearing such foul language from her father so it caused her to lift her head and meet his eyes.

"What did you tell her?" His eyes danced with fury as she questioned him.

"I told her that she was a judgemental hag and that her son was just short of a rapist, no better than the Death Eater scum she accused my godson of being. I told her that I found out she sent one more letter harrassing you, I'd show her exactly why the Death Eaters fear me." Hermione felt tears prick her eyes as she realized that her father had threatened one of the key members of the Order of the Phoenix. She hugged him tightly again to show her gratitude.

"You can threaten all you want, but don't actually follow through. I don't want anything on your conscience that isn't there because you had to survive." He kissed her hairline before releasing her.

"You let me worry about my conscience. You're my daughter and I'll protect you as I see fit." She realized that while he wasn't saying that he loved her, he was showing her that he did. She gave him a smile and squeezed his hand.

"Thank you, Daddy." She could tell that her words surprised him, knocked him off balance, but judging by the silly grin on his face, he seemed to rather like it.

Their lesson started shortly thereafter and Hermione knew it was because he was trying to mask his embarrassment and joy at her words. Draco went first and she was thrilled that he had gone back to his original method of keeping her father out of his mind. While she was flattered that he wanted to emulate her process, he didn't read near as much as she did and she suspected that he didn't have near as many useless facts to throw up in the face of invasion.

Her father praised Draco when he kept him out for over half an hour. Hermione thought it was impressive since he hadn't been practicing his original method recently. Maybe trying her way of blocking him had strengthened his own. Hermione shrugged it off as something she would probably likely never discover.

Severus started with Harry next. Hermione would admit that she was most worried about her Gryffindor boyfriend. He struggled containing his emotions, he was the epitome of acting on his emotions. While Hermione was also a lion, she had always acknowledged that she had qualities of every house.

She was impressed when Harry kept her father out for a half hour. There waa a light sheen of sweat on his forehead, but even Severus gave him an approving nod. He gave him a few pointers that would continue to help him improve before he finally moved on to her.

Hermione took her seat in front of her father, fortifying her shields before he began. She didn't feel as though she needed to fortify them, per se, but she did like to be as prepared as possible. She instantly felt the intrusion into her mind. While it didn't feel good, she could say that she had experienced worse. The bubotuber pus from last year had been horrid, her time spent as a half cat had been far worse, and the spell that had been cast over her in order for her to spend time on the bottom of the Black Lake had given her an overwhelming sense of creepiness.

The older Slytherin had began trying to muddle through her endless supply of facts in order to find their predetermined memory of her last moments with her mother. While she trusted her father with the information, it was extremely private. She suspected that he understood she would always want to keep that private and used it to motivate her.

Her father tried to find a way through her defenses for over an hour to no avail. When he finally lowered his wand, Hermione was breathing hard and sweating lightly. He gave her a genuine smile.

"Excellent, sweet. I've never made it longer than an hour and a half and by then I was exhausted. You will surpass my abilities and I couldn't be prouder." Hermione knew that he meant the words, but it had likely cost him in the department of pride. She gave him another hug as he chuckled.

"You really are a know-it-all swot to swamp me with that many useless facts for so long. I will say that it's quite obvious your favorite subject is transfiguration. I think I read the exact wording of your first year text twice." She outright laughed at his words.

"I do love the subject. Next time I'll change it up and give you years two through four instead." He carded his fingers through her hair before stepping back from her. He cast a look at the other two occupants of the room.

"Continue clearing your mind every evening before you retire for bed. Not only will it help you sleep, it will aide you in continuing with your progress." They gave him enthusiastic nods. Severus waved them away and Harry and Draco began to gather their things. Hermione hugged her father one more time.

"I''ll see you tomorrow Daddy. Love you!" He smirked her direction.

"I love you as well, sweet. Straight to your common rooms, curfew is in twenty minutes." Hermione was surprised at how long they had been at it, but nodded her agreement.

Hermione took Draco and Harry's hands and led them out of her father's quarters after they had exchanged goodbyes with their professor. Hermione could admit that she was thrilled that their lessons were coming along so well.

With a yawn, she sent Draco on his way and let Harry escort her back to their common room. They exchanged quick good nights at the foot of the stairs leading up to her dormitory and Hermione hurriedly changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas. She settled into her bed and went to work on clearing her mind as her father had tasked her with.

Not long had passed before her body relaxed, she let go of her stress, and fell into a deep sleep.

-O-

Severus made his way to meet with the Headmaster on the progress of the three students who had just left his quarters. The griffin leapt out of the way and allowed him access to the Headmaster's office. He didn't bother knocking, just let himself in and availed himself of one of the armchairs by the fire. Albus moved out from behind his enormous desk and took the seat opposite of him.

"How goes the occlumency lessons?" Severus snorted.

"I'd say they're doing extremely well. It has to do with their magic-sharing abilities, I wasn't able to keep someone out for a half hour for six months." Albus seemed surprised.

"Even Harry has done so well?" Severus really hated admitting that his nemesis' son had done so well, but he nodded anyways.

"He kept me out for a half hour, Draco just under forty minutes." The Headmaster narrowed his eyes.

"And your daughter?" Severus couldn't keep back the proud smile.

"I finally gave up after an hour. Her method is unusual, but very effective." Albus remained silent and Severus knew he was waiting for an explanation.

"She lets you in her mind, but obscures all the memories she wants to keep hidden with a constant deluge of useless facts and quoting of texts. I can move about her mind, but have yet to see a single memory." Severus could tell that Albus was impressed. He was waiting for more questions about their lessons, but the Headmaster changed gears.

"How is she taking the censure from Molly? She made further enemies by allowing the Slytherins to align themselves with her." Severus felt his hackles rise.

"Who else was she supposed to lean on? Your loyal lions threw her to the side and shunned her. The Weasleys are the only ones still maintaining a relationship with her. My snakes may only be loyal because of her heritage, but they'll protect her until the end." Albus chuckled softly.

"I meant nothing bad, Severus. It was merely an observation." Severus shoved a hand through his hair, knowing there was obviously something else the Headmaster wanted to say. Several minutes passed before he finally broke the silence.

"What did you send Molly?" Severus snorted before he let a smirk cross his features.

"I told her that her son was one step away from a raping Death Eater and that if she sent even one more letter to Hermione I would demonstrate exactly why the Death Eaters respect me." Censure crossed the Headmaster's face.

"Was that necessary, Severus? She is looking out for her children." Severus stood abruptly.

"It's perfectly fine for her to look out for her delinquent son, but not acceptable for me to look out for my daughter. I won't have her harassed by that overgrown hag. She can harangue her own spawn, but she will leave mine alone or she will suffer the consequences." Albus seemed to realize that he had hit a nerve so he merely nodded. Unable to continue a conversation with his old friend at this moment, he stalked from the room and down the stairs.

He made his way back to his quarters and poured himself a whiskey. Severus considered his daughter's words while he sat before his fire, staring into the dancing flames. She had called him Daddy. He had dreamt of that moment since she had been born and when Albus had told him that she needed to be taken, he had resigned himself to letting that dream die.

His heart had lifted as soon as she uttered them and he had been hard pressed to keep a stupid grin from his face. It was clear that his daughter had him wrapped around her little finger and he loved every second of it. He wondered if this was how all parents felt. Deciding that he was ready to go to bed, he threw back the rest of his firewhiskey, vanished his glass, and made his way to his bed.

A/N- Finally finished. I'm sorry again for leaving y'all hanging. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I know it wasn't a thriller, but ya gotta have story building! Leave me your thoughts, reviews are love.

Next chapter, Hermione gets sick of not learning anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Love,

Alicia


	17. Chapter 17

A/N- Special thanks to IGOTEAMEDWARD for being my 400th reviewer...you're the bomb! I know it's been a week or so, maybe a touch more, but I've been so busy! I'll try to do better. I hope that my work schedule will be lightening up soon so maybe I'll be able to write more. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following the story, it means so much to me!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing except the aforementioned original characters. Maybe the plot twist, but I'm not even sure about that.

Chapter 17

November 15, 1995

Draco raked a hand through his hair and did his best to ignore the comments being made up and down the Gryffindor table. While eveyone treated the trio with a certain amount of hostility and disdain, the fact that they would be meeting for the first time tonight as a group had everyone excited. The Slytherin still couldn't believe that he had agreed to this madness, or Theo for that matter, but he wasn't about to let Harry and Hermione face the masses alone.

*Flashback*

Draco almost started when Hermione slammed her book closed in the classroom they usually used to study together away from the whispers. When he looked up from his own text book, Draco saw a flash of anger cross her features.

"This is complete hippogriff shite. There's a war on the horizon, Dumbledore knows it's true, and still we have yet to learn anything in Defense Against the Dark Arts in the two months since term began. We have to do something." Draco reached out and rubbed her arm soothingly. He had witnessed just how volatile she could be when angered.

"I know it's a raw deal, but what can we do? I see no other options." Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione.

"You're plotting something and it's going to get us into trouble." Hermione smirked at him and in that moment Draco was proud. Her Slytherin roots were showing.

"I have an idea, but it mostly depends on you, Harry." He narrowed his eyes again at her.

"You always claimed that it was Ron and I that dragged you into trouble. I have a feeling that it's going to be the other way around from here on out." She laughed aloud, eyes sparkling. Draco loved it when she laughed like that, it just lifted his heart.

"I think we need to start our own Defense class. Draco can show Harry spells, I can help, this mixed with what Harry can do, it would make for a good class." Harry raked a hand through his hair.

"I love your ambition, 'Mi, but nobody is going to want to learn from us. They all see Draco as an evil Death Eater, they think I'm a traitor for aligning myself with Draco and turning on Ron, and they think you're a whore. Nothing in that statement makes me think that any of our peers aside from your brother would want to learn from us." Hermione hissed his way, but did her best to not let it bleed out in her tone.

"Don't you think we should at least let the others decide? If they say no then we can't say we didn't try." Draco had a feeling that if he didn't step in, it might just descend into an argument between the two more emotional members of their triad.

"I think it's a great idea, Princess, but we don't have anywhere to hold a class like that." She flipped her long, ebony curls behind her shoulders.

"I already thought of that. Dobby told me he knows how to get into the Come and Go Room. It would be perfect." Harry stood and started pacing the room, hand nervously running through his hair.

"What the fuck are we going to do if that bitch Umbridge finds out? We'll be carving words into our hands the second she catches wind of it. Yeah, she won't do anything to you because of your superior breeding, but the rest of us would be fucked." Draco knew that Harry had stepped over the line when the windows of the classroom blew outward. He watched as Hermione stood and advanced on Harry, her ringlets sparking in her anger.

"You think I consider myself to have superior breeding? You know what, fuck you, Harry. I guess knocking Umbridge into a fucking window is not caring who she hurts." Harry stepped forward and his face twisted in anger.

"You didn't do shite to Umbridge, that was your magic. Don't think you're fooling anyone, it's only because of that fucking prophecy." Draco heard the sound of skin on skin before he realized that Hermione had slapped her best friend in the world. Tears were tracking down her cheeks and pain flared in her gaze before she turned and unceremoniously shoved her books and parchment into her satchel. She didn't say a word before she turned on her heel and fled.

Draco couldn't wrap his head around what had just happened. Harry was wandering around the room, hands pulling at his hair. When he flopped down into the chair, he buried his face in his hands.

"What the fuck did I just do, Draco?" Draco really didn't want to take sides between the two of them, but he felt that Harry had definitely overstepped a line.

"I think you just insulted the best thing that ever happened to you. You made her cry." Harry nodded, but remained silent.

"You know she loves you more than anything. She just wants the best for the other students." Harry nodded.

"I know. I was just so angry because I know people aren't going to want to learn from me. It's going to hurt her when nobody shows up." Draco nodded. That much was correct. For all the Slytherin tendencies that Hermione displayed, she was a true Gryffindor at heart.

"That may be true, but you have to apologize. You took her love for you and threw it in her face." Harry nodded.

"How do I fix it? She won't forgive me." Draco heaved a sigh.

"She has a place to practice. I suggest you do your best to make this work for her. It'll be a start." Harry finally raised his head and met his eyes.

"Will you help me do this?" Draco couldn't help but chuckle.

"As much as I would have loved to see her castrate you a year ago, I might actually be a little sad if she managed it now." Harry actually barked out a laugh.

"I'd be sad if she castrated you too, Drake."

*End of Flashback*

Draco had to admit to himself that he was both nervous and excited for the first meeting of the Defense Association tonight. It had been a long road getting there, recruiting the members that had agreed to attend, but they had gotten there in the end.

Harry had groveled for three days before Hermione had deigned to listen to him. He had told Hermione that he and Draco had met with Dobby and checked out the Come and Go Room. Draco had researched spells while Harry put feelers out in all the houses except Slytherin about their plans. She had been impressed when the pair of them admitted that they had scheduled a meeting for the following weekend in Hogsmeade so Umbridge couldn't crash their party.

While absolutely nobody had been thrilled with the idea of Draco attending the meetings, not a single soul had said a word when they had turned up for the meeting. Hermione had been disgustingly triumphant when she saw the turnout of the students interested. Draco had wanted to be irritated with her for not being able to conceal her glee at the fact that she had been right, but he just couldn't. She had been right and he was capable of giving her her dues.

During the meeting, Hermione had informed the group of thirty that not only would Theo Nott be joining them in their meetings, everyone committing to being a member would sign a charmed document that would curse them if they should spill the secrets of the group. This information had caused quite the uproar, but Hermione had headed off their tempers with a display of her raw power. The bartender behind the bar looked less than impressed at her show, but he had ultimately remained quiet.

In the end, they had all signed the parchment and had watched while it flashed purple with a flick of her wand once it was complete. The group had parted ways after the first meeting had been set for that evening. Once they were the only students left in the bar, Harry had apologized properly and Hermione had accepted it. Draco had never breathed easier.

The bell startled Draco out of his thoughts, reminding him that they still had classes to attend. Hermione gave him a smile as she stood and waited patiently for him to do so as well. Harry seemed quiet and Draco could only attribute that to nerves.

The trio made their way through the corridors on their way to Charms. Draco once again let his thoughts drift to the fact that the Weasel, Brown, and Patil were going to be attending their meeting. Having Hermione so near the Weasel made him nervous as fuck, but he knew she would get all offended if he said he wanted to exclude them because of her safety. While Draco didn't have a personal problem with Brown or Patil, per se, they both did their absolute best to make Hermione's life miserable. Good riddance to bad rubbish, he felt.

Draco, Harry,and Hermione slid into their normal seats as they waited for Professor Flitwick to join them for class. He wasn't the most excited for this class since it was over the silencing charm. He had mastered this spell in his third year and he knew that Hermione and Harry also had no problems in casting it either.

The small-statured professor entered and began class with a flourish of his wand and a smile. He lectured on the uses of the silencing charm and when was an appropriate time to use them for three quarters of an hour. He bid them to split up and practice.

As always, the three of them were in one group since they sat at the same table. Not even ten minutes later, the trio had all demonstrated the charm correctly and were excused from homework in the class. Theo had been stuck with Crabbe and Goyle and it was obvious that he was having a difficult time trying to teach the two of them how to cast the spell.

As they usually did, Draco, Hermione, and Harry all three pulled out their homework from other classes and worked on it until the end of class. When Professor Flitwick dismissed the class, Draco, Hermione, and Harry all gathered their things and made their way to the library.

The Slytherin was not accustomed to hanging around the library quite as much as he had been, but he wasn't complaining. His grades were in excellent shape and he hoped that his father would find no reason to complain. He was sure that his father was thrilled with the fact that he was in a relationship with the granddaughter of the Dark Lord, but he still didn't see his father being happy about him being less than attentive to his grades.

The three of them settled at their usual table in the back of the restricted section of the library. Their books and parchment were spread everywhere by the time Theo appeared and asked if he could join them. Hermione happily accepted and Draco grinned inwardly. It was a tiny bit entertaining to watch Theo go all gooey over his half sister. Draco was even more impressed when Harry didn't seem to mind either.

The four of them worked on their homework from their various classes. They were all ahead of where the syllabus said they should be so Draco considered it a win. The only thing that they had to work on that was current was their Arithmancy project and that could only be done in class.

After an hour and a half of working in companionable silence, the four of them broke up and decided that lunch would be beneficial for all of them. Theo bid them goodbye since he had to make his way to the Slytherin common room before he went to lunch. Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist and pressed a kiss to the side of her head before leading her and Potter through the corridors to the Great Hall.

-O-

Hermione sighed happily as she let Draco lead her and Harry to the Great Hall. She was extremely excited for their Defense Association meeting that evening. She had went out of her way to create special gallons so they could communicate with them rather than by word of mouth. The last thing she wanted was for the wrong person to overhear a conversation in the corridor.

She had used the theory of Voldemort's Dark Mark and applied the same concept to the galleons by means of a protean charm. Harry and Draco had both been thoroughly impressed. While she had been proud of herself, she didn't think that it was near the feat that they made it out to be.

They entered the Great Hall and found their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. For once, the table was awash with whispers, but they weren't about Hermione or their triad. They were all about the meeting tonight. She chuckled softly to herself as she ate the lunch that Harry had served her.

The pair had overcome their argument beautifully. She had been very hurt at his words and the casual application of her "breeding" to the situation at hand. It had taken her three days to be able to even consider his words of apology. It had been a rough three days, all of which she had spent near silent. When she had finally felt that she could listen to him, Harry had thrown himself at her mercy and begged for forgiveness. Then he and Draco had both showed her their plans and the steps that had been taken to make her plans for an underground defense class a reality.

Her father had been extremely proud of her wanting to help their classmates learn defense. However, he had cautioned them to be careful and take steps to ensure that they couldn't be betrayed. It was his wise words that prompted her to make everyone sign a document with a secrecy charm woven into the very parchment. If someone slipped the information without her express permission, they wouldn't enjoy the outcome at all.

They were to meet in Severus' room after their meeting, not only to inform him of how their first "class" went, but for another occlumency lesson. He assured them that they had all mastered clearing their minds, keeping him out of their heads, and creating barriers within the layers of their greatest asset.

Hermione was still unsure as to why occlumency came so easy to her. She had taken to the art like a duck to water and her father was proud. At first, Hermione had been sure that it had been because Severus and the Dark Lord were both skilled in the art. After Severus had informed her that it wasn't hereditary, she came up with a new theory.

Hermione had always been able to compartmentalize within her mind. While she was an extremely emotional person, and she understood that this made occlumency very difficult, the Gryffindor had always had the ability to ignore her feelings and act on them at a later time. Her father had pointed out that this was why she had been able to take the barbs from himself and her classmates, despite her pure Gryffindor heart, and cry about their words later. After he had explained that her ability to compartmentalize and her attention to detail made it possible, it all made sense.

Draco excelled at the art as well, not to Hermione's level, but he still held his own. He had just recently been able to keep Severus out of his mind for over an hour and had set several undetectable barriers within his mind. He was proud of himself for mastering that step fairly quickly and Hermione felt he deserved the praise that Severus had given him.

Harry had taken longer to master keeping her father out. He had been fair at it from the beginning, but he had a history of reacting immediately when he was upset, of acting on all his emotions really. It had been just the night before that he had finally reached the proficiency that Severus required before they could move on. Her father hadn't praised him by any means, but he had congratulated him on making it through the hardest part of occlumency.

They were all meeting again tonight so they could begin creating false memories. While Hermione wasn't sure that she could do this as easily as she had blocked someone from her mind, she did understand the theory behind it and had practiced the night before. It all came down to paying extremely close attention to detail so you could make the image in your mind believable. She had a feeling that both boys might struggle with this aspect.

Severus had assured them that since they weren't spying, that the Dark Lord wouldn't disbelieve their loyalty as long as they acted the part, he didn't think that they would need to master creating false memories. While his words were reassuring for the boys, it made Hermione more determined. She believed one hundred percent that her grandfather wouldn't delve into Draco's or Harry's mind because he didn't want to anger her and suffer her wrath. However, she also believed that he wouldn't be above trying to break into her mind to assure himself of their loyalty. Therefore, she was extremely motivated to master creating false memories.

Lunch drew to an end, and Hermione had to sigh in happiness. It had been one of the more pleasant meals that they had had since they had come out about being part of a triad.

Harry kissed her goodbye, a quick peck and a smirk that promised more for later. He hurried off to Divination while she and Draco made their way to Arithmancy. The corridors were bustling and it lent the feeling that the world was completely normal and she had no worries other than getting good enough grades to be made Head Girl.

Melancholy thoughts threatened to take over as Draco threaded his fingers through hers and they walked into Arithmancy. Life had been so simple even back in their younger years that had been filled with danger and intrigue. She hadn't truly appreciated just how much more difficult life could get when she had been running from a werewolf or solving a logic puzzle.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by Professor Vector making an appearance. With a wave of her wand, their projects were passed out to them and they were bid to begin. Hermione was partners with Draco, so she didn't have to worry about being stuck with someone that wouldn't pull their own weight.

They worked for three hours straight on their projects, and Hermione was happy to report that she and Draco were close to halfway done. The equation they were working on was the most difficult she had attempted so far so she was doing her best to be thorough by taking her time.

When the bell rang, Hermione and Draco gathered their parchment and sent them to the front where Professor Vector would store them away. She allowed Draco to lead her out of the classroom and through the corridors, peppering her hairline with kisses when she wasn't paying attention.

Draco pulled her out of the corridors and into the Great Hall where he led her to the Gryffindor table. Harry was already there waiting for them and favored them with a bright smile at their appearance. Hermione and Draco took their seats next to Harry and Ginny and were bombarded with questions about what they were going to be learning that night.

Hermione chuckled to herself as she let Harry field all the questions about tonight's lesson. They had decided to start off easy and she was sure that their pupils would scoff at starting out with the disarming spell. The truth of the matter, though, was that many of the students that had agreed to attend couldn't cast the spell to save their lives.

All the students had been instructed on how to open the Room of Requirement and they were to meet them there just thirty minutes after dinner had ended. Hermione didn't have much of an appetite since she knew she was going to be embarking on a new adventure in just under an hour.

When both Harry and Draco had ate their fill, Hermione pulled them to their feet so they could go and get the room ready for all their students. She could only hope that it went as well as she thought it would.

-O-

Harry paced the corridor in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, chanting to himself that they needed a place to practice defense. To his surprise and wonder, the wall across from Barnabas became a door. Without further ado, Harry stepped forward and opened it, letting himself, Draco, and Hermione inside.

He was flabbergasted. The room was huge, easily big enough for over thirty to practice defense safely. Practice dummies lined the walls and bookshelves with what appeared to be defense books took up the whole back wall. Hermione instantly headed that way, excitement in her eyes from the appearance of books she hadn't read. Harry and Draco both shared an exasperated look before they both grinned at her obvious pleasure.

"This room is amazing, Harry. We're going to learn so much here." Harry wanted to roll his eyes at her obvious excitement at learning, but he refrained. While he thought she would take it good-naturedly, the last thing he wanted to do was piss her off when she had just recently forgiven him.

Harry wandered the room, taking in every detail of which dummies were where, where they would need to move the mats on floor. Draco followed, a contemplative look on his face. Hermione was already several pages into a book.

Harry stripped off his school robes and threw them in a heap on the floor in one of the corners. Draco sneered lightly at his obvious lack of care for his clothing, but the Gryffindor just grinned. Draco conjured a chair so he could drape his robes over it neatly so as not to wrinkle his clothing.

Harry ran through his plans of how he wanted the lesson to go and for the first time he appreciated that Hermione had wanted to do this. He wanted to help others and he wanted to make sure they could protect themselves. He just hoped that he would be a decent enough teacher.

The door opened and the first wave of students entered, mostly those from Ravenclaw. He had figured that the students would stick together and come and go as a group. Safety in numbers after all. This didn't do much for secrecy though. The Ravenclaws followed his example and shed their robes, leaving them in a heap on the floor just a little ways from his own. Draco rolled his eyes and bent to pick Harry's robes up so he could brush them off and leave them with his.

Harry didn't speak until everyone had arrived. The Hufflepuffs had slipped in almost silently and were cowering off to the side. The Gryffindors blew in as loud and boisterous as ever, everyone exclaiming loudly what a banging room they had found to practice in.

Theo entered by himself and appeared to be nervous. Harry didn't blame him. Aside from Draco, he was the only snake and he lacked the protection that being in a triad with Hermione gave. They couldn't tell anyone that he was actually her half brother and nobody outside of Slytherin was aware. Harry vowed to speak with Hermione about having him come early with the three of them so he wouldn't be left open to attack.

Harry watched as Hermione ran to her brother's side and gave him a hug. Theo returned it tentatively. It was obvious that the Slytherin wasn't used to being touched, much the same as Draco wasn't overly familiar with it. She took his hand in hers and dragged him over to the bookshelves so she could show him the wealth of knowledge the room had privided. Harry wanted to rip Lavender's tongue out when she spoke.

"Merlin's balls, isn't one Slytherin boyfriend enough? She's becoming quite the little tart." Harry glared at her until she took notice.

"They're just friends, Lavender, which is more than I can say about you and the boys you keep company with." She glared at him right back until Ron stepped forward.

"Don't insult her, Potter. Hermione can handle herself if she wants to have a problem with Lavender's observation." He snorted his former friend's way.

"Trust me, Hermione could care less about what Lavender thinks about her. I, however, would love to point out that if you can't get along with everyone, you'll be asked to leave and not return." Harry didn't give them a chance to speak. He turned and headed towards the front of the room so he could call the room to attention. Everyone was milling around and talking between themselves so Harry resorted to shooting sparks out of his wand to catch their attention.

"Before we start, I want to thank everyone for coming. When Hermione had this idea, I wasn't completely sold on it, but now that we're here I'm glad she convinced me. Even though I'm teaching this class, it's been a collaborative effort between myself, Hermione and Draco.

Now, I feel a couple things bear mentioning before we begin. First, everyone will treat the other people attending these classes with respect. No trash talking, no insulting, no house shaming. If you are caught doing this, you'll get one warning. If you're caught again, Hermione will deactivate your coin and you will no longer be welcome in these classes. If this does happen, don't even think about trying to get revenge and snitch. The parchment you signed holds you to secrecy whether you attend or not.

Second, there will be no curses thrown at anyone unless it's been taught here. I've already heard whispers about how Draco and Theo are going to use dark magic on us because they're Death Eaters. I've seen both their arms and they most certainly do not bear the Dark Mark. They're here to learn and they will abide by the same rules as you will. So, in a nutshell, if I haven't taught it to you, you don't use it in this room unless otherwise specified by me.

Everyone understand?" The room at large nodded and Harry gave them a smile before continuing.

"I know that some of you will be offended and say that we think little of your skills, but this isn't personal. It's making sure that everyone is trained properly in the spells that we use to defend ourselves. This being said, our first spell will be expelliarmus." There were a few groans, but Harry was pleased that not too many people were showing their displeasure.

Harry split everyone into pairs. Deciding that he wanted to try to promote a little house unity, he paired Draco and Theo up with people from other houses rather than each other. Harry was unsure about Theo's dueling skills, but he knew that Draco was very advanced. Therefore, he paired Draco with Neville and Theo with Padma Patil, a shy but smart Ravenclaw that rarely spoke to anyone. After those two pairs, Harry did his best to pair everyone up with someone from another house. While almost everyone complained, nobody outright refused.

Luna paired with Colin Creevey, Ginny with Terry Boot, Fred with Zacharias Smith, George with Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones with Cho Chang, Marrieta Edgecomb with Dean Thomas, Seamus with Anthony Goldstein, Hermione with Ernie McMillan, Ron with Angellina, Lavender with Katie Bell. There were a few pairs that had to be within the same house, but Harry had done his best. When he walked past Hermione, he leaned over so he could whisper in her ear.

"You can't lose control if Neville lands a spell on Draco. The last thing we want is to have to cancel these classes because someone gets hurt." Hermione gave him a solemn look and nodded.

Harry began his instruction with the proper wand movement, the angle it needed to be held aT, and the correct pronunciation of the spell. After the first try, it was clear that only half the class had any idea on how to properly cast the spell. Harry was glad that he had put Draco and Neville together since the clumsy Gryffindor couldn't get the spell to cast at all.

Harry then reformed the pairs, putting someone that could perform the spell with someone that couldn't. It helped cut down on the time needed with Harry and it made the other students feel good that they could help out. Draco was behind Neville, gripping his wand arm and showing him the correct movements while Hermione was helping Colin Creevey. Theo was still with Padma and she seemed upset that she had failed to master the spell the first time.

Time slipped by and before Harry knew it, it was only an hour before curfew. He called everyone to the front again to speak with them before they left.

"I know it's just the disarming spell, but you guys are doing great. This seems like an insignificant spell, but it really can save your life. Everyone here is well on their way to mastering the spell. Keep practicing in your free time and we'll send out when the next meeting is. Great job, guys." To his supreme embarrassment and surprise, everyone broke out in applause. Well, almost everyone.

Everyone began to leave in pairs so it wouldn't look suspicious as to where they had been. Harry timed the pairs that were leaving and let them leave every five minutes. When it was just Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Theo, Harry gave them a grin. Hermione threw herself into his arms and kissed him happily.

"You were brilliant. You would make an amazing professor." Even though he wouldn't turn down her kisses, he shook his head.

"You three did just as much as I did. I think the four of us are going to be the ones consistently teaching the others." Theo actually smiled, something that he usually only saved for Hermione.

"Thanks, Potter." Harry grinned in return.

"You're Hermione's brother. You better call me Harry. It'll just be awkward when you call Draco and Hermione by their names but not me." Theo chuckled quietly.

"Alright, you make a point. It's Harry from here on." He nodded his head and made his way over to move the dummies back to the edges of the room so it would be ready for them the next time they held a class. He got so caught up in his task that he forgot about the time. Hermione called him back to the present.

"Harry, we have to go. We can't make my dad wait for much longer." Harry chanced a quick glance at his watch. They were due there in five minutes. With a quick thank you to the room, the trio exited the Room of Requirement and made their way to the dungeons.

-O-

Severus sat in his quarters sipping tea laced with firewhiskey. He was anxious to hear how the his daughter's first "class" had gone. He was aware that she wouldn't technically be teaching it, but he had a feeling that it was going to end up being a collaborative effort between the three of them. It was quite clear that they were the best students in attendance and he was sure that they would all share in the responsibility of teaching the others.

He cast a quick tempus to see exactly what time it was. Severus normally didn't like holding their lessons after curfew, but it was becoming more difficult to come up with reasons why all three of them would be needed in the potions classroom. It was far easier to have them come to his quarters and for that to happen it needed to be after curfew.

His door opened and the trio filed in, Hermione had been given the password to his quarters after their first lesson. She was his daughter and he wanted to be available to her at all times. He had a lot of time to make up for and this was only the first step. He waited until they were all seated to speak.

"How did it go?" Both boys sat back and watched his daughter with undisguised amusement as she launched into a long descriptive monologue about how the class had went. She finally fell silent after ten minutes, but the sparkle in her eye was still present. Severus gave them a smirk.

"You're off to an excellent start. I think the way you're pairing those who have mastered the spell with those who haven't is a great idea. If you need any help with lesson plans, let me know." Hermione went to her feet and flung her arms around his neck so she could give him a hug.

"Thanks, Dad. You're the best. Who knew you were a rebel at heart?" The other two boys chuckled, but remained silent. Even though Severus was very pleased with his daughter's easy show of affection, he shooed her back to her seat.

"Tonight we begin learning how to create false memories. This is the last step before you are considered Master Occlumens." He took another sip before he launched into how to go about creating false memories.

"The best way to go about creating a false memory is by basing the false memory on a real memory. You show the real memory and change the things you need to. It is possible to conjure completely false memories, but it is much harder.

In order to go about this, you must pay extremely close attention to detail. If you just make up a memory that has faceless people in the background, it won't be believable. Even if you don't remember who you see in a crowd, their faces are still there so you must create the details."

Severus launched into the way he went about creating false memories for the Dark Lord. His three pupils paid close attention and in Hermione's case, took notes. When they finally exhausted the lecture side of creating a memory, he beckoned Harry forward.

Severus had been surprised when he found himself calling The-Boy-Who-Lived Harry internally. He could only assume that the closeness the dark-haired Gryffindor shared with his daughter and Draco had finally broke through his formal approach to everything. Severus hated it. While he no longer hated his nemesis' son, he certainly didn't like him and thought that his daughter could do better. He, however, would never tell her that.

Harry was fair at creating a false memory, at least for his first time. There wasn't near enough detail in his memory of him beating the Dark Lord in the graveyard, but it was a good attempt. When he lowered his wand, Harry met his gaze expectantly.

"A very good first attempt, but it needs work. Not near enough detail, but better than I had expected. Practice every night at recalling tiny details of scenes throughout the day." Harry nodded and Severus waved Draco forward. He pointed his wand at his godson and let the familiar incantation leave his lips.

"Legilimens."

Severus was surprised that Draco's attempt was as good as it was. It was nowhere near where it needed to be, much like Potter's attempt, but it was a decent first try. When he broke the connection, Draco met his gaze and waited for his verdict.

"Much like , your memory lacks the amount of detail required to make the memory believable. I give you the same assignment as him, throughout your day try to notice minute details that you normally wouldn't. What color someone is wearing, the expression on their face when they're confused, how much pumpkin juice they put in their cup at breakfast. It seems inconsequential to you throughout your day, but those things still exist in your memories. When they aren't there in your false ones, it becomes hazy and completely clear that it isn't a real memory." Draco nodded and stood so Hermione could take his place.

Severus was truly excited to see what kind of attempt his daughter would make. He was still astounded that she had to put almost no effort into the art of occlumency. She had erected several barriers in her mind that he had never even considered.

His daughter took Draco's seat and he could tell that she was preparing herself. Maybe next time he should make her go first and give her less time to prepare. She needed to be able to do these things on the fly if she was going to regularly go before the Dark Lord. His wand came up and she trustingly gazed into his eyes.

"Legilimens."

Severus was assaulted with Hermione walking down the corridor and being jerked into an empty classroom. Harry and Draco proceeded to throw her to the floor. Her clothes were stripped off of her and they held her down. Draco wrenched her knees open and was trying to force his hard cock into the apex of her thighs. Hermione was screaming, crying, begging for him to stop, and Harry backhanded her. Severus wrenched himself from her mind and had his wand pointed at both boys before anyone else knew what was happening.

Twin spells, red in color, erupt from his wand and they hit their mark. Both Harry and Draco collapsed under his stunning spells before Hermione started screaming at him.

"What the fuck are you doing? Oh my God, are they alright? What did you hit them with?" Severus couldn't believe that she was fawning over her boyfriends after what they had done to her. He couldn't make himself move as he watched her wake them up. His heart was racing and he was doing his best to control the urge to strangle both boys in front of him. He watched as Draco sat up and threw a glare at him.

"What the fuck was that, Uncle Sev?!" Severus couldn't believe that the little bastard even had to ask. He started towards Draco while Hermione was waking up Harry. He brought his wand up again but Draco was ready this time. A shield flickered into existence so Severus threw his wand to the side so he could just physically take his anger out on his godson.

"Stop it! Right now, or I swear I'll hex everyone in this room!" Severus suddenly remembered just what his daughter was capable of when her mates were in danger. He stepped back, but he could feel the tension in the room. It was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Why are you doing this, Daddy? They haven't done anything." Severus finally flicked his eyes over to her and saw the fear and confusion on her face.

"What about that memory? They've done more than they should have. They deserve to suffer." He watched Hermione rake her hands through her disheveled curls before she spoke.

"That memory was a fake. I wanted to make it something that you knew would never happen, that you would know I had to put so many details into it because it wasn't based on a real memory, that it was pure conjecture." Severus couldn't comprehend her words at first. He was trying to grasp the meaning behind them when Harry spoke.

"What fucking memory did you show him?" Hermione wiped the back of her hand across her nose and Severus felt terrible. He had upset her because she had done exactly what she was supposed to do. Granted, it probably wasn't the best choice for a false memory, but now that she claimed it false, he didn't know how he had ever believed that it was true. Her voice trembled when she answered.

"I was walking down the corridor and you two pulled me into a classroom and tried to rape me. You backhanded me while Draco was between my legs." Harry sat back and raked his hand through his hair.

"You didn't think that maybe that was a poor choice for a memory? Why didn't you just remember failing a test or something?" Hermione sat back and began furiously dashing tears from cheeks.

"I didn't think he would believe it. I didn't think it would be good enough for him to think it was the truth. I'm sorry, I'm so stupid. I should have known better." Severus watched as Draco crawled over to his daughter on the floor and pulled her into his arms.

"Princess, you aren't stupid. You underestimated yourself and your abilities. Don't cry, we're not mad. Uncle Sev isn't mad either, you just surprised him." She nodded as she lowered her head to continue wiping her cheeks.

Severus couldn't fucking believe it. That memory had seemed so real, he could feel her terror laced through the fibers of the memory, he could tell that she was fighting to stay calm. He didn't understand how she could create something so wonderful and terrible at the same time. He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his, trying not to grimace at the snot on the back of her hand.

"That was incredible, Hermione. I've never even heard of that being done. I could feel your terror and the visual was so vivid I thought it was real because nobody has ever created a memory that bloody good. Merlin, you're a fucking prodigy." She chuckled weakly at his words so he took it as she wasn't angry with him. He reached out and pulled her from Draco and into his own embrace.

"I'm sorry I tried to curse them. I would never do anything to hurt you if I could help it." She nodded into his chest.

"Harry's right, I should have chose something else. I just truly didn't think it would be that good." He snorted into her hair.

"I'm not angry. Its clear Draco isn't angry with you. Potter can't stay angry with you for long on any given day of the week so please stop crying." She nodded and wiped her eyes for a final time. Severus kissed the top of her head before gesturing for Harry to help her up. The dark-haired Gryffindor came forward and drew her into a hug after she was on her feet.

"I'm not mad at you, 'Mi. I promise." Severus stood while both boys were comforting his daughter. He was still reeling from the sheer talent his daughter possessed in occlumency. It was in that moment that he vowed to teach her legilimency. He brushed his lank hair back from his face as he spoke.

"I think we'll call it a night. Suffice to say, Hermione doesn't need anymore practice in occlumency. She has mastered it. I still expect you two to come see me in two days time. You need to be much better than you are now." Both boys nodded and started to drag Hermione with them towards the door. At the last second she turned and ran back to him, throwing herself in his arms again. She whispered against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." He kissed her forehead.

"Don't be sorry, baby. You're amazing." She gave him a smile before the three of them left his quarters.

Severus threw himself down in the armchair once his daughter was gone. He wandlessly summoned the bottle of firewhiskey and cursed when he remembered that he still had to report to Albus on the progress of his three charges.

With a sigh, he took a long drink before standing. He replaced his teaching robes, raked his hand through his hair, and left his quarters with a swirl of his robes.

-O-

Albus waited patiently for Severus to arrive. He knew that his Potions Master had a lesson with his three students that evening after curfew. He really wished that they didn't have to hold their meetings so late, but it was imperative that Umbridge not find out that the trio were learning to shield their minds. If that information were to find its way to Tom, the results would be disastrous.

The wards alerted him that someone was entering the staircase just past the griffin. The door opened and Severus appeared, his teaching robes billowing behind him. He didn't say anything, but headed to the cabinet where Albus stashed his firewhiskey. The Slytherin poured himself a generous four fingers before he came to sit in the armchair across from Albus. He knocked half the drink back before he met Albus' gaze.

"Did the lesson not go well? You said they were all ready for the false memories step." Severus snorted and took another drink. There was a trace of amusement in his voice when he spoke.

"I just attacked Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy. I stunned them and then tried to go after my own godson for something I saw in my daughter's memories." Albus sat up straight. He knew that Severus had more impulse control than anyone he had ever met. For him to act so irrationally was disconcerting.

"What did you see?" Severus threw back the rest of his drink and stared into the fire for several minutes before he finally answered.

"Both Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy had poor first attempts, but better than I expected. Creating a false memory isn't something that everyone can do. I bid them to work on noticing details. Hermione stepped forward and allowed me into her mind.

She was walking a corridor and was pulled into an empty classroom by Draco and Potter. They hit her and tried to sexually assault her. I could feel her terror and her determination to stay calm." Albus felt himself angering.

"Where are they now?" Severus chuckled darkly.

"It was a false memory. Hermione broke down and said she wanted to do something that I would know would never happen. She didn't think that her attempt would be very good. Albus, I couldn't tell it was fake. Her first fucking attempt and she's mastered it. I am a Master Occlumens and I couldn't tell the difference. As her father, I want to shout it to the world, but I can't. My daughter is a fucking prodigy, her mind is a steel trap that nobody will be able to break into and I can't tell a soul except for you."

Albus didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say? He knew that Hermione was smart, that she was clever and kind-hearted. He knew she found the good in everyone even when they didn't deserve it. The fact that she had mastered what was rumored to be one of the most difficult branches of magic in a month was unthinkable. After several minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

"You are her father, Severus. Alexandra was no slouch. As evil as Tom is, there is no denying that he's brilliant. Hermione has received the best from all of you. She will change the world." Severus smiled, actually fucking smiled.

"I'm so proud of her it hurts." Albus leaned over and patted the man's knee.

"You should be. Thats one less student for you to worry about now. We must focus our attention on Harry and Draco." Severus nodded.

"I told them I would meet with them in two days time. I've also decided I'm going to teach Hermione legilimency. There are several death eaters that don't have skills in occlumency. If she could find something about the Dark Lord's plans in their minds it would be beneficial." Albus nodded.

The pair sat in front of the fire for another hour, sipping their whiskey silently. When Severus had finished his second glass, he stood and took his leave. Albus needed to get some rest himself, but his spy's words played over and over in his head. Was Hermione really as good as Severus said or was it fatherly pride talking? It was no secret that the girl was now his world.

Albus needed to test her before he would sign off on her being finished with her lessons. He was excited to see if he could break through her shields. Aside from Severus, he hadn't performed legilimency on someone with any talent for the art in many years. Vowing to himself that he would test the girl soon, he threw back the rest of his whiskey and made his way up the stairs to his quarters.

Tomorrow was a new day.

A/N- I literally banged this chapter out in five hours. If it sucks, I'm sorry! I decided to do a little reading on other triads and read the best fic. It's called Convergence by jessiy and its a Hermione/Severus/Voldemort story. It starts out crazy, but it's seriously the bomb. I had also planned on putting some citrusy goodness in this chapter, but since it's already over 8000 words, I decided to hold off. Anyways, leave me a review, they make me smile.

Next chapter, our trio goes to see Grandpa together.

Love,

Alicia


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- Y'all are so awesome, thank you for your support. I do want to apologize. Fanfiction just doesn't like me and it hasn't let me respond to any of the reviews y'all left me over chapter 17. Just didn't want y'all thinking I was ignoring you. Anyways, I'm gonna quit yakking for now and get to writing.

Trigger warning: Brief non-con. Not described in gory details.

Disclaimer: If you recognize the characters, they aren't mine. Not sure if I even own this little twist on a pretty common trope, but I suppose I'll never know. I haven't made a single cent from my stories, trust me, my bank account tells no lies.

Chapter 18

November 21, 1995

Hermione breathed in deep, doing her absolute best to stay calm in the face of what was happening today. Three days ago, Severus had received an official summons for himself, Hermione, Harry, and Draco. Dumbledore seemed the most nervous of everyone involved, although Draco came in at a close second. For some reason, Hermione found that both disturbing and amusing.

Draco had explained himself that if things went badly, his parents would jump in and fight for the Dark Lord while he would be backing Hermione and Harry. This thought was sobering and the Gryffindor vowed not to tease him about his nerves anymore.

It was the same night as his confession that Hermione did her best to take her boys minds off their problems.

*Flashback*

Hermione paced the corridor in front of Barnabas the Barmy, very specific in what she asked the Room of Requirement for. Their occlumency lesson had gone swimmingly, Harry and Draco were progressing by leaps and bounds. Hermione had started her training in legilimency and she felt that it had gone well. She had no problems infiltrating the mind, she simply needed to hone her technique on veiwing the memories.

Severus had told them all that they were doing wonderful, that they had much to be proud of. While Hermione believed him, she also knew that he was going to say whatever net him the greatest results.

The trio entered the Room of Requirement and the boys were excited to see a large expansive room with a fireplace and a large bed. They both turned her way simultaneously, confused looks on their faces. Harry broke the silence.

"What's going on, 'Mi?" She gave them a grin.

"Well, I just figured we could spend the night here together. Trust me, Lavender and Parvati would be thrilled if I didn't come back to our dorms. I'm not sure about your dorm mates, but if they won't notice your absense, I thought we could stay here together." Harry stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"I think it's great. This is a great idea. I think everyone in my dorms are too scared of 'Mi to snitch about anything." Draco snorted.

"None of my roommates will say a word if I don't show in the dorms." Hermione wondered briefly for a moment if Theo would agree to his words, but decided to let Draco deal with the situation. If either one of them wanted him in the situation, they would invite him.

She led both boys to the edge of the bed and gestured for them to take off their clothing. She could see the confusion on their faces, but they were quick to obey. Both of her boys stripped down to their boxers while she watched with hungry eyes. Both Harry and Draco were sexy as fuck. She bid them to lay on the bed and both were quick to comply.

While she kept her panties on, she stripped everything else. It was the first time that she had been without her bra and shirt in front of anyone before, but she was determined to cross this line with her boys. Both of their gazes were caught on her bare breasts, and while it made her embarrassed and self-conscious, she also felt a sense of power.

Hermione waved her wand and her boy's boxers disappeared easily. She had never seen a penis before and she could honestly say that she was impressed. She expected far less than what her boys were sporting. While Draco was long and thick, Harry seemed to be just a tiny bit shorter and a tiny bit bigger around. She wasn't sure exactly which was better, but she hoped she wouldn't be required to make a decision about the matter. Surely they wouldn't demand that of her, would they?

Hermione tentatively reached out and grasped each of their cocks in her hand. Both gasped inwardly and did their best to not thrust themselves into her hand. She let her hands wander the lengths of them, taking in the velvety hardness of what was usually contained in their pants.

Once she had felt every inch of their impressive shafts, her hands moved lower to explore their balls. Both sets looked remarkably alike, but felt completely different in her hands. Unable to stop herself she bent and pressed a kiss to the head of Harry's dick first before she did the same to Draco.

"I'm sorry, I want to please you both, but I don't know how." Harry reached up and grabbed the hand that was grasping his cock. He began to guide her hand in an up and down motion, showing her exactly what made him happy.

Hermione was a quick study and shook his instruction off quickly. Harry gasped softly when he let his hand fall away and hers take over completely. She applied the same action to Draco and she found that he was just as easily pleased as Harry was. After a moment, she was able to synchronize her actions, moving their cocks in tandem with the other.

Draco reached down and grasped her hand in his, urging her to stroke him faster. Rather than just apply it to him, she did the same to the hand that gripped Harry. It didn't take long for both boys to grasp the sheets next to their heads and start breathing shallowly. Harry reached down and made her hand grasp him tighter as she continued to stroke him. She applied the same to Draco and allowed the grunts and moans of pleasure that escaped their mouths to go to her head.

With the rush of power that flooded her at the sounds of her boy's moans, Hermione made her hands stroke even faster. With a strangled cry, Harry exploded first. His hot, wet seed erupted from the tip of his cock and covered not only her clenched fist, but his belly as well. Draco followed only moments later, his seed covering her and himself in much the same manner.

Hermione continued to stroke them until their cocks went limp and they both reached out and made her stop. She laughed softly to herself as they breathed sighs of relief. She released them both with a soft sigh.

"Was that good? I've never done that before so if there's room for improvements, you have to tell me." Draco rolled up on his elbow so he could grasp her hand and press a kiss to her palm.

"It was amazing, Princess, don't change a thing." She could feel a blush stain her cheeks and she was sure that both boys were smirking at her. Harry pulled her down between them so he could press a kiss to her head.

"It was amazing, far better than I've received in the past." Hermione stiffened at his words, but she tried her best to let it go. Harry seemed to realize his faux pas immediately so he tried to backpedal.

"I'm sure you'll keep me happy for the rest of our lives." Realizing what he was doing, she gave him a small smile. Draco didn't wait for her permission, he pulled her down between them and snuggled into her back before pressing a kiss to her neck.

"You were amazing, Princess. Thank you." She smiled to herself and allowed the blond to snuggle close to her, his cock burrowing between the cheeks of her arse. Harry pulled her close to his chest and she rested her head on his chest. She flung a leg over his and could feel his cock hardening slightly again. She broke out in laughter.

"Both of you go to sleep, we're not doing that again tonight." Both boys chuckled as Hermione closed her eyes and let sleep pull her under.

*End of Flashback*

Hermione smoothed her pure black witch's robes down and took the time to color a strip of hair down the side of her head a scarlet red. As much as she hated to be cliché, she felt that scarlet red needed to be her calling card. She didn't dare claim green since she was as far from a Slytherin as they came, and she didn't look good in yellow and she felt like blue was reaching. Besides, she wasn't ashamed of being a lion, therefore, she would embrace her house and if others didn't like it, they could go fuck themselves.

Both boys were at her sides and they were both dressed in identical black dress robes. It was downright depressing to see them all dressed as if they were ready for a funeral, but they had to do what they had to do. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought that both her boys were already Marked. It was only the promise that her grandfather had bestowed upon her that such a thing would never happen that kept her from freaking out. Draco stepped forward and fluffed her ebony curls one last time.

"You look stunning, Princess. You'll blow your grandfather away." She snorted as she turned to wrap her hands around his wrists.

"I'm more worried about the Death Eaters and how they react than my grandfather. I don't want to have to kill someone because they're determined to harm you or Harry. Before you say anything, neither of you would allow harm to come to me, so don't ask me to allow harm to come to you." Harry stepped forward and pressed a soft kiss to her pulse point.

"Everything will be fine, 'Mi, stop worrying." She gave a resolute nod and told herself that she would be doing that to the best of her abilities. She gave them a smile before she let her face fall impassive

"Lets get this show on the road." Draco and Harry both nodded and offered their arms to her. They exited the Room of Requirement and Hermione allowed them to escort her to the Entrance Hall. While Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor knew nothing of their plans, Slytherin House was completely aware that the trio and their Head of House were attending a meeting with the Dark Lord and his followers. While all were jealous, or appeared to be, none of them stepped forward and allowed them to pass without words.

Hermione and her boys waited for her father to join them on the steps leading up to Hogwarts. While Slytherin was well aware of their destination for the evening, the rest of the students weren't. They hadn't waited long when Severus appeared behind them, his Death Eater robes billowing out behind him. He gestured for the three of them to follow him and as they took off across the grounds, Hermione felt a frisson of fear. This had the potential of ending very good or very badly. The trip to the gates passed quickly and once they passed through, Severus turned to meet their eyes. His gaze was serious as he spoke.

"If we plays things smart, there won't be any reason for things to go badly. The Dark Lord has given his word before all his followers that you will be safe as long as Hermione commits herself to his side. Draco, Potter, you will both be forced to bow before the Dark Lord if he demands it. I'm not sure if he will since you are with his heir, but we shall see. No shows of pride. We're going into this with the goal of coming home."

Neither Harry nor Draco looked too excited at Severus' words, but both nodded. Once again, her father offered the three of them a quill. Once they all had hold of it, their potions professor tapped it with his wand. The portkey activated and Hermione felt the now familiar jerk behind her navel. The four of them landed outside of the four meter high wrought iron gates.

Draco heaved a deep sigh next to her at the sight of his family home. It was apparent from his stance that he wasn't excited to be home at all. Hermione threaded her fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze.

"They won't hurt you while I'm here." He gave an embarrassed snort before casting her a sideways glance.

"I'm more worried about how my father will take all of this. I mean, I think he'll be happy since you're the Dark Lord's heir, but I don't want him to insult you." Hermione snorted this time before she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"The opinion of your father means nothing to me, I promise you. Lets just avoid them and that will be that." Harry stepped forward and offered his arm to Hermione. She threaded her arm through his and the other through Draco's once he remembered to offer it. Severus gave an approving nod and led the way through the gates and down the driveway.

Both Draco and Harry were silent as they made their way up to the large front door swung open and Mipsy stood there wringing her tea towel. She cast her eyes downward and stuttered.

"Ma-master Dracos, Mip-Mipsy is so happy tos sees you." She had nothing else to say to the others and Hermione could see that she was terrified. While she wanted to tell the small elf that they wouldn't hurt her, she knew better than to say such things in front of the wizarding aristocracy. Draco tipped his head just once.

"Thank you, Mipsy. Can you tell us where everyone is?" The elf relaxed slightly.

"Theys all in the ballroom, Master." Draco nodded and the trio allowed Severus to lead the way. Hermione heaved a deep breath and fortified herself for what was sure to come on the other side. She made sure her back was ramrod straight and that her chin was high before Mipsy threw the doors to the ballroom wide open.

The room fell silent and Severus strode forward without fear. His gaze didn't waver from Voldemort at the end of the walkway. Hermione did the same, both Draco and Harry seemingly fearless as they followed her lead. When they reached Voldemort, Hermione could see that Nagini was curled on the ground at her master's feet. While Severus didn't bow, he gave his father a respectful nod before he moved to the side and allowed Hermione, Harry, and Draco to move forward. Both boys didn't wait for cues from the Dark Lord, they both sank to a knee and waited for Voldemort to speak.

"Young Malfoy and Young Potter...I confesss myself sssurprised." Neither Draco not Harry said a word. Voldemort smiled an enigmatic smile before he turned his gaze towards Hermione.

"Isabella Rose, you grow more beautiful every time I sssee you." Hermione gave an approximation of a smile.

"Hello, Grandfather. How long do you plan to leave my mates on their knees before you?" Hermione heard one of her boys draw in a quick breath. Her grandfather laughed heartily at her words.

"Rissse, my children." Both Draco and Harry rose to their feet and stepped back just behind Hermione as Severus had instructed them. However, both boys were waved back forward by the snake-man.

"Tell me, boysss, what are your intentionsss towards my granddaughter?" This question grated on Hermione. It seemed that even her grandfather thought her well-being needed looking after. However, she remained silent and allowed the conversation to continue since that was what would be expected if she was pureblood. Draco broke the silence first with a deferential nod.

"I plan to love and honor her, sir, to one day make her my wife. It would make me very happy if she one day agreed to bear me children." Her grandfather didn't speak, but swiveled his gaze to Harry. His voice wasn't near as steady as Draco's, but she could tell that it was no less honest.

"I plan to love her and protect her with my life if need be. Eventually, I hope she'll consent to be my wife and bear me a family." Voldemort stroked his chin before he turned to his pet. The hissing was easily understood by Hermione and Harry. It was in this moment that she realized that Voldemort must not realize that Harry could speak parseltongue.

"Are they both being truthful, pet? Do you detect any lies?" The snake raised it's head and tasted the air before it hissed back.

"No, no, no lies. They both speak the truth." Nagini rested her head on his foot this time before going still and silent once more. Her grandfather met her eyes now.

"Do you believe their vowsss, sweetling?" She cocked her head ever so slightly to the side.

"They haven't given me a reason to mistrust them. However, they both know just how vindictive I can be when angered." Whispers broke out amongst the Death Eaters and Voldemort grinned a snakey grin.

"Explain pleassse." Hermione couldn't believe that she had rated a please. She clasped her hands in front of her and allowed a trace of amusement to play across her face.

"My most recent bout of blackmail was the end of last school year. After you returned, Rita Skeeter was in the Hospital Wing eavesdropping in her animagus form. I caught her in a jar, spelled her to where she couldn't return to her human form, and told her that if she continued to write lies about Harry or myself, I would expose her illegal animagus status. Then I kept her in said jar until I returned to Hogwarts in September." Her grandfather laughed again, this time clapping his hands in glee.

"Oh, Isabella, you are a delight! Are you certain you're a Gryffindor?" Hermione hardened her gaze and her voice went cold.

"Quite certain, Grandfather." He chuckled at her shift in attitude.

"Now, now, sweetling, I meant no offense. I don't normally find the lion-hearted very interesting, but you are the exception." He chuckled again before he turned his gaze to Harry.

"Well, Mr. Potter, I take it that you're in agreement with my granddaughter's plan in joining me." Harry stepped forward and met the eyes of his nemesis.

"I'm not happy about following you, but I love Hermione and I trust her. Dumbledore showed me his true colors when I learned what he did to Hermione when she was just a baby. Professor Snape could have been a real father to her and she would have been happy." Voldemort gave hin a calculating look.

"Surely you've discussed that I will not endorse your death in any way, and in return, you will not seek to destroy me." Harry nodded.

"Yes, she was completely honest with me. She agreed to join your side for protection for Draco and I." Her grandfather nodded.

"I will make you the same promise, Mr. Potter. I will, however, add to the understanding that if you make my granddaughter cry, I will make you regret it. I don't have to harm you or kill you to make your existence miserable." Harry nodded.

"If I make her cry, you have my permission to make my life miserable." Her grandfather turned to Draco.

"Will I have your permission as well, young Malfoy?" He gave a sharp nod.

"Of course, my Lord." Voldemort clapped his hands together once more and waved Hermione to the seat next to him.

"Now that the introductions are complete, we can move forward." Hermione took the seat next to her grandfather and made sure to keep her back straight. Both Harry and Draco flanked her chair while she noticed that Severus flanked Voldemort.

"Our first order of business is the order to all my Death Eaters and followers that they are to bring no harm to Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter. If anyone goes against my wishes, I'll allow my granddaughter to take care of you in any way she sees fit. Just remember that Mr. Potter was merely threatened by Thorfinne while not in attendance and he almost died." Silence reigned in the ballroom and Hermione did her best to look unaffected and bored. She could barely see Harry and Draco out of the corner of her eyes and they both appeared as bored as she tried to look. Hermione had never been more thankful for Severus' instruction.

"Our next order of businessss is the preliminary planning for bringing our brothersss and sisters in Azkaban home. I want Lucius and Augustus to utilize their contactsss in the Ministry and find a way to get to the dementors. If we need to vanquish them, we will, but I'd much rather ussse them to the fullest extent. Dumbledore won't just let this war drop and the dementors could further our ssside." Hermione felt her skin crawl when Lucius stepped forward, Augustus Rookwood just a few steps behind him.

"As you wish, my Lord. I will carry out your wishes tomorrow." Voldemort nodded his agreement before he dismissed both men.

"Everyone feel free to mingle until the entertainment arrivesss." Hermione wasn't sure what the entertainment could be, Severus hadn't told them what to expect. She had to work to keep herself calm when Lucius approached again.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Miss Riddle. I'm Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father." Hermione made sure to keep a cool polite look on her face.

"I know who you are, Mr. Malfoy. You insulted me in Flourish and Blotts the summer before my second year." He came forward and snagged her hand so he could press his lips to her knuckles.

"That was when we believed you were a mudblood. I trust Draco has been treating you well?" Hermione gave him another cold smile.

"Draco treats me much better than you treat him. Understand, Mr. Malfoy, that if you ever use the Cruciatus Curse on your son again, you won't survive it." His eyes flared in anger before it disappeared.

"Of course, Miss Riddle. If you need anything the house if Malfoy can provide, please let Draco or myself know." Hermione had made her point and allowed herself to give him a respectful nod.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. I appreciate your offer." Lucius melted back into the crowd and Hermione saw a blond woman that could only be Narcissa speaking quietly with Draco. He still seemed rather reserved and stiff, but he finally nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek before she disappeared into the crowd. She was drawn out of her musings by her grandfather's voice.

"The entertainment hasss arrived. Enjoy, my loyal subjects." Hermione noticed that all the women had disappeared from the ballroom and she suddenly had a terrible feeling about what the entertainment was.

It was confirmed when fifteen or so naked muggle women were led into the ballroom. They seemed to be under the influence of the Imperius since they had no reaction to being in front of so many men completely naked. Hermione was speechless as she watched the Imperius lift and the women started screaming. Lucius was the first to pounce, catching a blond round the age of twenty around the waist.

Hermione knew she had to stop this. There was no possible way that she could continue to be present and allow this to happen. She couldn't blow her cover, however, and she couldn't endanger her mates or her father. Suddenly, she knew what she needed to do.

Lucius had his trousers around his ankles and was knelt behind the blond, their bodies smacking noisily as he took her against her will. The woman was sobbing, begging god to make it stop, crying out for her father and Hermione almost vomited before she did what needed to be done. She shot to her feet and extended her wand up to the ceiling and shot out red and green sparks.

All the men came to a standstill, but the women continued to scream. Hermione didn't even wave her wand, just thought of a blanket silencing charm that only affected women. The room fell silent and her grandfather leaned forward and hissed her way.

"What do you think you are doing, sssweetling? You would deny our men their pleasure?" Hermione turned a furious eye to her grandfather, slipping her wand back up the sleeve of her robes.

"I would expect our men to not act like the muggles they claim to hate. The muggle prisons are full of men who force women to have sex with them. By acting this way, they're no different than the filthy muggles they claim to want to destroy." The men out in the ballroom looked equal parts angry and disgusted. Her grandfather stroked his chin.

"What would you have usss do to win, sweetling?" Hermione stood her ground and met Voldemort's cool gaze.

"If you kill all the muggles and muggleborns, who will serve the wizards? Enslave them, they still have uses. You're just wasting their potential as servants by raping and killing them." He steepled his hands underneath his chin before he turned to Nagini.

"What do you think, pet? Do we need to keep muggles and mudbloods to serve us? Is that my granddaughter's true aim?" Nagini made some creepy hissing laugh before answering.

"She's a bleeding heart Gryffindor and she doesn't want loss of life unless it's completely necessary. However, she isn't wrong. You need servants to make your empire great. None of these brainless swags that call you Master will want to do the work." Voldemort bent down and stroked his snake's head.

"You think this will be wise, pet?" Hermione wanted to fucking laugh that he was asking advice from his fucking pet snake. She kept quiet, however, and acted like she couldn't understand a word.

"I think you will gain far more public favor if you kill and torture less." Voldemort was quiet for a minute longer before he turned back to Hermione. She could feel the tension radiating off of Harry, Draco, and Severus.

"I think you're correct, Isabella. Our take over of the wizarding world will meet much lessss resistance if we curb our tastesss." He turned to meet his follower's gazes.

"My granddaughter hasss spoken. We will enslave the muggles and mudblood, they will serve us rather than die. We are, after all, superior, and we need subjects." While the applause was rather stilted and lackluster, Hermione didn't care. She knew these men hated her for curbing their fun. She expected nothing less to be honest.

The women, still terrified, were being herded back to wherever they had come. The room was still silent and didn't seem to be changing any time soon. Voldemort chuckled before he stood and cupped Hermione's face in his hands.

"You've already turned the tide of thisss war in our favor. We're going to go far, you, Severusss, and I." She laid a soft hand on his, keeping up appearances that she was thrilled at the prospect of being his heir.

"Thank you, Grandfather." He gave her the approximation of a smile.

"Go now, Isabella Rose. I ssshall send for you sssoon." She gave him a small smile, but made sure to vanish it quickly. She didn't want his followers to think that he was going soft.

Hermione pulled her shoulders back and started to make her way back towards the entrance. She could hear Severus' near silent tread following them. They had almost reached the door when there was a yell from her left. She turned slightly to see just what was happening, but she was too late.

Thoros Nott had his wand held aloft, an unknown curse on his lips, and a jet of purple speeding her way. Both Harry and Draco seemed far less surprised than she did. They leapt in front of Hermione and before she could protest, the curse slammed into Draco's chest. He dropped instantly and Harry dropped to his side. Hermione didn't even take a second to check on Draco. She knew Harry would do everything he could for Draco. She was still astounded some days that they had become such good friends.

Hermione stepped past Harry and Draco and waved her hand in Nott's direction and he began screaming. The screams continued while he dropped to his knees and then onto his side so he could curl into the fetal position. There was a certain sense of power that derived from bringing pain to the man who hurt her mate. Suddenly, she was brought back to the present by soft hands on her shoulders. Harry's voice was soft in her ear.

"'Mi, sweetie, you have to stop. Don't be like them." Hermione sagged against him and he held her weight for a few moments before she swept away from Harry to Thoros Nott. When she reached his side, she knelt down next to him so she could fist his hair in her hand and lift his eyes to meet hers.

"You ever hit my mate with a curse again, any spell actually, and I will fucking kill you. Consider this your one chance and you're only getting that because your son is my brother." With a parting kick to his ribs, she turned to see Severus kneeling beside Draco.

Her blond mate was awake, but seemed to be in pain. Hermione brushed the fringe of hair off his forehead before she pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth. Her father and grandfather stood over them and Hermione was beginning to fear the worst.

"What's wrong with him?" Severus grasped her hand in his.

"I'm not sure, sweet. My diagnostics are showing nothing." Lucius had pushed his way to the front of the crowd. Hermione leaned down and laid her hands on Draco's chest. She could feel him rattling as he tried to breathe. Following her instincts, she reached out and took Harry's hands and laid them on his chest with hers. She had no idea what she was doing, but she mingled her magic with theirs, and while Draco's core was weak when they began, as time passed, it grew stronger and stronger.

Hermione had no idea how long she and Harry fed their magic into Draco, but when she felt Draco's magic flare around her lovingly, she removed her hands and felt Harry do the same. Draco sat up and Severus stepped forward so he could cast another diagnostic. Everyone around them waited in bated silence, Lucius at the front of crowd, a fearful look on his face. Hermione couldn't help but feel a smidgen of sympathy for the elder Malfoy. He obviously cared for his son is some way or he wouldn't have rushed to the front. When Severus spoke, his voice was confused.

"His scan is perfect. Draco is fatigued, but nothing is wrong with him." Hermione and Harry both helped Draco to his feet and Hermione didn't give a fuck what her grandfather had to say. Somebody hurt her mate she would burn their fucking house down.

"Anyone hurts my mate again, they're dead. I guarantee you, your death won't be quick or pleasant. Thoros Nott was spared his life only because his son is my brother and I value that relationship. This is his only warning." Lucius rushed forward and caught Draco's face in his hands so he could examine him closer.

"I'm alright, Father. They healed me." Lucius gave him a small smile that disappeared quickly. He moved closer to Hermione and took her hand in his so could press another kiss to her knuckles.

"Thank you, Miss Riddle, thank you for saving my son." Hermione really didn't want the man's gratitude, especially since she hadn't done it for him. She had done it for herself and Harry.

"You're welcome, Mr. Malfoy." Her grandfather, who had kept surprisingly quiet throughout, waved Lucius away and brushed back one of her loose curls.

"You make your father, your blood line, and I proud. To home with your father, Isabella." She gave him a solemn nod before he turned to meet the gaze of both Harry and Draco.

"I find I like you two a bit more after that display. Keep my heir safe." Hermione wanted to vomit. He still only saw her as his precious blood heir. She didn't know why she was surprised, but she was.

Severus stepped forward and offered her his arm. She knew it wasn't something she would be able to refuse. Therefore, she threaded her hand through his arm while Severus glared at anyone that dared look at them wrong. Harry and Draco were close behind them.

The mass exodus of Malfoy Manor happened quickly. She didn't even really remember the path they had taken to find their way back out to the gates. Nobody had said a word and it didn't look like it was going to be happening until they were back at Hogwarts. Severus held out the quill from their earlier trip and once activated, it jerked them away to land them just outside of Hogwart's gates.

As soon as they were through the gates, Hermione threw herself in Draco's arms. She was sobbing and was only vaguely aware that he was trying to pat her back comfortingly, but Harry had hugged her from behind. Once she had calmed herself considerably, Hermione pulled away.

"I'm so sorry, that was all my fault. He would have never done that if it hadn't been for pissing him off because he couldn't rape and kill without cause anymore. It was all my fault, can you ever forgive me?" Draco cupped her face and tried to shush her. Even though she had calmed somewhat, tears were still flowing down her cheeks. Both boys were trying to stem their flow without much sucess. It was Severus' voice that cut through her tears and brought her back.

"Your move to save those women's lives was both foolish and brave. It worked, which means that more lives will be saved through this war. This was not, however, the reason Nott attacked you. He's never been a good occlumens." Severus sighed and held his arms open. Hermione rushed into them and she clung to him, her weakness was finally surfacing now that they were alone. Severus kissed the top of her head before speaking again.

"Nott has hated me since I began sleeping with Alexandra. She was the one thing he loved. Once she died, he blamed me all the more and you as well since Alex was devastated when you disappeared. He wanted to hurt me by hurting you, your new methods in dealing with prisoners was just icing on the cake." She suddenly turned away from her father and her hands went to her hips and her curls started to spark.

"Don't you two ever do that again! I can take care of myself, I need you two to stay alive!" Severus grinned at the two teens and backed away. He watched in amusement as she went forward and started hitting both Harry and Draco, both of who cowered away from her until she wore herself out. She finally leaned against Harry and he wrapped his arms around her with a chuckle.

"You're a violent little thing. I'm glad you wore yourself out before you pulled your wand." She chuckled softly as she allowed both boys to start leading her back towards Hogwarts. She could hear Severus behind them and she had a feeling that he was going to make her tell Dumbledore herself. They were almost at the castle when Draco broke the silence.

"Just so you, you are fucking terrifying. Nobody has the balls to speak to the Dark Lord like that and you acted like it was no big deal. If I didn't know how goody goody you were, I would have bought that act back there." She started to protest, but Harry interrupted her.

"He's right, 'Mi, you're brilliant, don't get me wrong, but you're bloody scary." She chuckled softly as they entered the castle, silent on all fronts in case someone was hiding in an alcove and listening.

They made their way through the castle to the second floor where Professor Dumbledore's office was located. The griffin leapt out of the way and all four of them tiredly made their way up the final steps to finally enter the circular office. While Professor Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, Hermione made her way over to the sofa before the fire and plopped down in a most unladylike manner. Severus chuckled while Professor Dumbledore huffed softly at having to move. Draco pulled her into his lap and just held her close while Harry slipped off her shoe so he could rub her foot. Dumbledore took the free seat by the fire.

"How did it go?" Both boys waved for someone else to go. Hermione looked up to guage her father's answer and sighed when he motioned for her to continue. She fought her eyes closing as she began her story.

It took over an hour for Hermione to detail everything. She and Harry had a bit of a laugh over the fact that Voldemort tended to ask his snake's opinion on everything he did. It was decided as a whole that Harry would hide his ability to understand snakes just as Hermione was.

Professor Dumbledore had been astounded that her grandfather had questioned the boys on their intentions when it came to her. Hermione found that was the part that she was least surprised at. She continued their tale and she could tell that the Headmaster was becoming more disbelieving every moment. He actually barked a laugh when she told him what she had proposed to her grandfather about having the muggles and muggleborns serve as servants instead of being raped and murdered.

The conversation soured when she told him how Thoros Nott has tried to attack her and the two boys had stepped in front of her, Draco taking the curse. His eyes turned hard when she detailed how she had hurt Nott and contemplative when she explained that she and Harry had healed him. Censure won out.

"You have to be careful, Hermione. Tom turned dark so easily, it's in your blood. You need to always be aware of that power and how it can change you. Your parents wouldn't be proud of you if you took to enjoying torture." A trinket behind her exploded. She sat up quickly and did ger best to control her tone.

"I realize you mean well, Headmaster, but you need to back off. I know exactly how good it felt to hurt Nott because he had hurt Draco, almost hurt Harry. I will not sit idly by and let that happen. I'm nothing like Voldemort. He's obviously led an empty existence, I have the love of my father, brother, and both mates, along with several friends. Don't patronize me." Hermione was panting from the effort she was putting forth into controlling her tone. When their Headmaster spoke again, it was with more respect than condescension.

"How did you heal Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione snorted and looked at Harry. He shrugged her way so Hermione took that to mean that he had no idea. She raked a hand through her curls as she began to worry her bottom lip with her teeth.

"I don't really know how to describe it. I just focused my magic on Draco, I could feel Harry doing it too. His core was weak when we started and when we stopped, it felt like normal. I don't know what the curse was or what it did, but Harry and I worked together and beat it." Severus nodded.

"She's right, it was a curse I'd never seen before. I don't think I could have healed him." Professor Dumbledore stroked his chin in a move reminscent of her grandfather.

"Do you think you could heal other people in this manner or just one of your triad?" Hermione shrugged.

"It's hard to tell. All our magic is stronger when we're around the others, but I'm not sure if we could heal anybody with the method Harry and I used on Draco." The Headmaster nodded.

"I may want to try your method of healing at a later date. I may also have further questions at a later day, but for now I think bed is in order." Hermione sighed happily as she started to drag herself to her feet.

"Thank Merlin, I'm exhausted." Both boys followed her example and Hermione floated over to her father so she could bend down and press a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you, Dad." He tugged one the errant curls that hung down over her shoulders.

"You as well, sweet. To bed with you." She giggled softly before she mock saluted.

"Yes sir." She grabbed both boys by their hands and led them out of the Headmaster's office in a manner that reminded her of their last meeting there. When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Hermione pulled the boys towards the stairs.

"I'm tired and I don't want to be apart. Lets go to the Room." Both boys nodded and allowed her lead the way.

-O-

Secerus waa unsure of what exactly he was supposed to be feeling at this time. He had flipped between so many different emotions that he wasn't even sure what he was feeling at the moment.

There was always the fear that he would associate with facing the Dark Lord, then morphing it into absolute terror when Hermione challenged him and forced her will upon him. The madman didn't realize that that was what she was doing since he was so blinded by the power, but that didn't change the fact that it was happening.

Extreme pride had surfaced when she had handled herself with such poise and elegance. He knew the situation wasn't easy for her and it was made a thousand times more difficult when Harry and Draco were there to be potential murder victims. He couldn't find the word to describe how terrified he had been when she had challenged Voldemort's will when it came to prisoners of war. No, he had never liked the pointless rapine of muggles, but there had been nothing he could have done to stop it. His daughter, his brave and beautiful daughter, had seen the injustice and done whatever she could in her power to stop it.

When Severus had seen the curse headed for her, he had tried to run to her, to get in front of the curse himself. He had known how Nott felt about not only himself, but Hermione as well. The fact that both boys had willingly cast themselves in front of the curse meant for his daughter raised them both in his esteem. Perhaps they deserved her after all.

When he hadn't been able to discover the curse that hit Draco, his heart had been breaking. Not only for the loss of his godson, but his daughter's loss of one of her true loves. There was another flash of fear and justice when he saw his daughter exacting revenge on Nott without a shred of remorse, then relief when Harry had been able to easily pull her back from the edge of losing control.

None of these emotions, however, could touch the awe and confusion that had swept through him when he witnessed Hermione and Harry lay their hands on Draco's chest, already shaking with the sheer amount of effort it took for him to breathe, and did whatever in the fuck that it was that they did to save Draco. He heard the Dark Lord behind him gasp as he saw the young blond draw in another breath with ease. No doubt, he was realizing just how useful that talent would be.

Now, sitting here in Albus' office, he felt emotionally wrung out and physically exhausted. Severus pushed his hair out of his face while Albus studied him. In turn, he glared at the Headmaster.

"You know I wouldn't hide anything from you so quit looking at me like that." Albus chuckled.

"I don't think you're hiding anything from me. I do, however, think we're just scratching the surface of the power they possess and it scares the life out of me." Severus snorted indelicately.

"You're telling me that my daughter and her power scares you, the same girl who tried to launch a campaign just last year to free the elves of Hogwarts." It was just laughable. Albus didn't laugh.

"I know that power can corrupt people. She displayed an enormous amount of power and she admits that she enjoyed the pain she brought on Thoros. We must tread lightly." Severus understood that in this one instance, the Headmaster was correct. Power did corrupt. However, he didn't think for a moment that Hermione would allow that to happen.

"I watched a few words from Potter bring her back. He and Draco are her anchors. She is my anchor. My father has no anchors, that's why he's an evil bastard." Albus nodded, seemingly in agreement.

"I understand Severus, I just really don't want the 'plunging the world to depths never before seen' to happen because she discovered that she likes torture and death a little too much."

Severus nodded. He didn't agree that she would be that easily corrupted, but he could understand the fear of the unknown. He lived with the unknown every day. Deciding that he really didn't want to hang around for anymore enlightening conversation, Severus brushed his hair back again as he stood.

"I'm exhausted, Albus, I'm going to bed." Albus nodded, but spoke once more before he was able to make it out the door.

"They've been sleeping all together in the Room of Requirement. Brew your daughter some contraceptive potion. We can't afford to keep them apart. Their power must continue to flourish if we have any hopes of winning this war."

Severus gritted his teeth and didn't answer. He slammed the door on his way out. Just because he knew the Headmaster was right didn't mean he had to like it.

A/N- Lordy, this chapter. I'm still not sure I got everything in there that I wanted to, but I'm publishing the damn thing before I can change my mind and scrap it all. Thanks for reading. Leave me a review, they're love.

Next up, Theo's reaction, and uncomfortable conversation, and their lessons with Severus come to an end.

Love,

Alicia


	19. Chapter 19

A/N- Y'all and your love for my story makes me so happy. I've had problems with reviews again, not only responding to them, but getting notified that I had received one. Twenty-four hours after posting and getting not a single review, I finally decided to investigate. Anyways, sorry I haven't responded. Enough chatter for now, I have a chapter to pound out.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it ain't mine. I haven't made any money off this story, or any others for that matter. Everything you recognize belongs to J.K.R. All hail our queen.

Chapter 19

November 30, 1995

Hermione brushed her raven curls back behind her shoulders as she slung her satchel behind her. It had been just over a week since she and her boys had met Voldemort face to face and they were all thrilled that he hadn't summoned them since.

The boys had agreed that while they had enjoyed watching her put her grandfather in place, it was a terrifying experience that none of them cared to experience again. Hermione had simply smiled apologetically at them and apologized for any further meetings that would occur.

They had both assured her that they didn't blame her for their part in this fiasco. She had broke down in tears, somewhat out of character for her, and told them that she knew they were just being nice. If they weren't her mates, they would have been nowhere near the situation.

Both boys had hugged and kissed her, reassuring her through words and actions that they didn't blame her. While she believed that they didn't blame her, it was extremely difficult not to blame herself. Therefore, she did her best to put it out of her mind so she wouldn't dwell on it.

Theo gave her a wave as she entered Potions beside Harry and Draco and her mind fled to the day after their meeting with Voldemort.

*Flashback*

Hermione nervously approached the Slytherin table as breakfast was ending. She had told both her boys that she needed to face Theo alone. They had both protested, but when she turned her glare their way, they had relented with a sigh and waved her on.

The snakes were excited at her approach, all of them thrilled to be in her presence she was sure. The thought made her a little sick. Theo realized that the silence that fell over the table was because of his sister so he shot her smile and patted the seat next to him. Pansy was sitting next to him and she eagerly scooted down to make room for Hermione. Hermione slid into the seat and gave everyone a small smile and a nod before turning her attention to her brother. Even though she realized that the whole table was listening, she figured it could only keep Harry and Draco safer if the snakes of the school feared her.

"I need to speak with you about last night." He didn't reach out and take her hand as he did when they were alone, but his eyes were still warm as he met her gaze.

"I attacked your father last night. I didn't kill him since you're his son, but I warned him that next time he wouldn't be so lucky." Theo didn't glare at her, or even sneer. He chuckled and Hermione had no idea what to do with that kind of reaction.

"What did he do? You're not the type to attack someone just because they hate you." Everyone around them were silent and staring, hanging on every word she said.

"I pointed out that they should be enslaving muggles and muggleborns, not raping and murdering them. Muggles rape and murder all the time, we need to be better than that." Silence continued to reign and she wondered if anyone would ever speak.

"My grandfather agreed with me and when we were leaving, your father tried to curse me. It was a curse that my father nor my grandfather had ever seen. Draco and Harry leapt in front of me and it hit Draco. He almost died. Severus couldn't save him. Harry and I blended our magic in order to save his life. I cursed your father with a pain curse. I don't know how long I held him under it. I told everyone in that room that if they touched either Harry or Draco, I'd kill them." The table was still silent. Finally, in a moment of actual intellect, Goyle spoke.

"If you cursed Theo's dad, the Ministry would have sent you a letter about underage magic." Hermione really hadn't wanted to reveal the extent of her abilities and should have thought this conversation through. She gave a slight shrug, deciding to act like it was no big deal, maybe then people wouldn't focus on it.

"The Ministry can only trace underage magic if you use a wand." It took a moment for that to sink in. Pansy was the one that exclaimed the obvious.

"You tortured Theo's dad wandlessly? Fucking hell, Granger." Hermione shrugged her shoulders again.

"Nobody hurts Draco or Harry." She turned her attention back to Theo. He gave her a soft smile before slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm not mad at you, Hermione. I told you my dad was a bastard. You and the Dark Lord both made clear what would happen to those that harmed Draco and Potter. He was an idiot and decided to disregard those warnings. Maybe this time he'll learn." She gave him a tentative smile.

"You're really not angry?" He chuckled while the rest of the table looked on in amusement.

"Trust me, if I was angry, you'd know it. The last time I was angry was when Crabbe got completely pissed and then took a piss in my favorite shoes. Everyone in Slytherin House knew I was angry." Crabbe had the good sense to look sheepish when Hermione turned disbelieving eyes to him.

Hermione had graced her brother with a side hug before she stood, smile on her face.

"I've gotta go, but we're still studying tonight, right?" Theo nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, six o'clock at your table in the library." Hermione gave a quick nod before she flounced away in the direction of the Gryffindor table.

*End of Flashback*

The Gryffindor was pulled from her thoughts when Harry nudged her. She quickly turned his way to see her father entering the classroom, robes billowing dramatically behind him. She couldn't keep a blush from her cheeks when she recalled the conversation between the two of them just two days before.

*Flashback*

Hermione was seated at the Gryffindor table trying to read her Arithmancy text while Harry and Draco talked quidditch to death with Neville, Ginny, Fred, and George. She hadn't realized that the table had gone silent until she heard a throat clear behind her.

"Might I speak with you in private, Miss Granger?" While her father's tone was as silky as ever, she got the distinct impression that he wasn't pleased. She grimaced for the crowd before nodding and turning towards her professor. She gathered her texts and crammed them in her satchel before following her father out of the Great Hall.

Severus led her to the nearest empty classroom and warded and silenced the door before turning her way. Hermione couldn't help but think that he looked distinctly uncomfortable. He reached in one of his many pockets to fish out a vial of pink fluid. He handed it to her without a word.

"What do you want me to do with it?" He raked his hand through his hair, causing Hermione to get a bad feeling about where this conversation was headed.

"It's a contraceptive potion. Our esteemed Headmaster felt that he should inform me of your new sleeping arrangements and ordered me to make you a contraceptive potion." Hermione felt her cheeks flush instantly and she dropped her gaze to her hands.

"I don't need that, I'm a virgin." She couldn't believe that she had spit it out quite that boldly, but she couldn't turn back now. Severus chuckled softly at her embarrassment.

"You have no idea how thrilled I am to hear that. However, I remember well how quickly things can happen and as they say, it only takes once. Bringing a child into such a climate as this would be irresponsible, especially since you're just barely sixteen." Hermione nodded quickly.

"I understand, I'll take it." She unsealed the vial and drank it down quickly, pleasantly surprised when it tasted like cherries. Not the fake muggle cough syrup kind of cherry, but real cherries. As she handed the now empty vial back to him, she finally met his eyes.

"Are you disappointed in me?" Even she could tell that her voice was small. Her father sighed and pulled her into a hug, kissing the crown of her head before he spoke.

"No, sweet, you haven't disappointed me. You're less than a year away from your majority and I can't expect you to be young and innocent forever. It just seems like you're already leaving me when I just got you back." Hermione let a few tears squeeze out of her eyes so she could wipe them on his robes, her father none the wiser. She squeezed him tighter before she spoke.

"Daddy, you aren't going to lose me. I don't have anybody else in this world except you and Theo. Well, my oh-so-wonderful grandfather, but I don't think he counts. Sure, I choose Harry and Draco, but what will I do when they're mad at me? I won't have anyone to run to that will be just on my side. Theo's my brother, sure, but he's been friends with Draco for longer than he's even known he had a sister. You're the only one that will be there to walk me down the aisle and for my kids to call Grandpa. I just don't want you to think less of me." Her father snorted before he pulled her away from his chest, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I'm proud you've made it this long with your virginity intact. Most girls in our world lose it by the time they're fifteen. Everything happens earlier in the wizarding world, so don't think for a second that I'm disappointed in you. That will only happen if you're stupid and end up pregnant while in school." Hermione laughed.

"Well, obviously that won't be happening if you're making my contraceptives yourself. All your potions are amazing." Severus snorted now as he brushed her hair back behind her shoulders.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. I have much to do before my next class. Run along and watch out for the toad. She would love to put your mates in detention. She's aware that you're untouchable, but she doesn't know about the prophecy. She won't hesitate to punish them." Hermione gave him a solemn nod before she raised on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

"See you in class, Dad." He chuckled as he waved his wand, releasing the wards on the door so she could make her way back to both her mates.

*End of Flashback*

Professor Snape, for that's who he was when class was in session, pointed at the board with his wand and the words "Amortentia" appeared in his spiky script. He didn't wait to make sure that everyone was ready for his lecture to begin, he simply jumped in head first. For those not paying attention or the ill-prepared, he considered it a lesson learned when they failed their quiz questions over the subject matter because they were scrambling to catch up their notes.

Professor Snape lectured for half an hour before he waved his wand again and levitated a bubbling cauldron from the table behind his desk to the one free table amongst the students. When it had stopped boiling, he turned to the class.

"This is technically a sixth year potion, but the Headmaster has insisted that we cover it a year early due to changes on the Potions O.W.L. Everyone will form a queue and step forward so you can determine what amortentia smells like to you, and then begin an essay about the few good uses for the brew. Begin." Hermione didn't want to have to wait forever to start her potion so she hurried to her feet so she could be towards the front of the line.

She was beat by Lavender and Parvati, both of who were seated at the table right next to the cauldron. Both sniffed when they saw her, but their gazes quickly turned predatory. Lavender stepped forward and laid an arm across Hermione's shoulders while Parvati made a show of sniffing the potion.

"Did you hear that Ron and I started dating? He finally decided that you just weren't worth the effort." Hermione snorted as she shrugged the blond's arm off of her. Both Harry and Draco were behind her in the line and she could hear them practically growling.

"Well, if you're into rapists, then I wish you the best of luck. As a woman, however, you should be against that kind of treatment." Lavender laughed lightly.

"He wouldn't have had to resort to trying to rape you if you weren't such an uptight prude. There's more to life than books." Hermione laughed in return.

"You would know since you've never opened a book. You know, that's probably the reason you're failing all your classes. In fact, maybe you should keep an eye out for someone a little more academically inclined. Then your children won't be complete trolls." She didn't miss a beat when she pointed towards the cauldron.

"Your turn, Lavender. There's still quite a few people to go, no time for chatter." The other girl sputtered in indignation, but was quick to comply when Professor Snape sent a glare her way.

Lavender finished quickly and moved on after sending a glare Hermione's way. It didn't scare her. Since she hadn't been sleeping in her dorm most nights, the girls didn't even have much of a chance to try to sabotage her clothing.

Hermione stepped up to the cauldron and leaned over, inhaling deeply. She was overwhelmed by the scents she associated with Harry and Draco. If she had had any doubts in their relationship before, they would have been gone. Bergmot and sandalwood, hinting at Draco, and citrus with mint leading her to the scent of Harry. Both brought her happiness and comfort. With a smile to herself, she moved on and took her seat again before pulling out fresh parchment to begin her essay.

She was hardly aware of Harry and Neville taking their seats next to her. While she wasn't ashamed, she wasn't ever going to volunteer the fact that she carried enough extra texts about potions with her that she didn't need to go to the library for sources for her essay. Therefore, she easily finished her essay before class was dismissed.

Harry and Draco both flanked her as they left Potions and started to make their way towards Charms. Once they were seated in their usual seats waiting on their diminuitive professor, Draco leaned over and tugged on one of her curls.

"What did you smell, Princess?" She gave them both a grin.

"Bergamot, sandalwood, citrus, and mint." Harry snorted as he made eye contact with Draco.

"Wonder who those smells apply to?" She playfully shoved them both before she turned her laughing eyes back to them.

"What did you two smell?" Both boys answered together.

"Cherry blossoms and vanilla." She really did laugh this time. Neither boy had ever seen that she used shampoo scented like vanilla and shower gel and lotion that smelled of cherry blossoms. It was uncanny. When she had finally stopped laughing, she rubbed both their legs.

"Guess that means we're meant to be together." Harry snorted before he leaned down press a quick kiss to her neck.

"That much is obvious. We'd all be a mess if we didn't have each other." Draco sniffed imperiously.

"Speak for yourself, Potter." Hermione couldn't help but laugh again.

"You almost made us believe that, Draco." He snorted, but remained quiet since Professor Flitwick entered the classroom and began his lesson.

Today's Charms lesson was a review over everything they had learned so far that year. Hermione absolutely detested review days. If you didn't understand a lesson, you sought help from an older student or from the professor at their convenience. Review days set the class behind and those that were up to date on their lessons wasted a day.

The trio departed Charms after Professor Flitwick dismissed them with instructions to read the next chapter. The boys led her to the Great Hall for lunch since Hermione was still grumbling to herself about the loss of a charms lesson. They sat down in their seats at the Gryffindor table and the boys instantly began piling food on their plates. Hermione wasn't sure how they put away so much food, but she had learned long ago that questioning a hungry boy only ended in arguments.

The meal passed by without any drama or arguments. Ron and Lavender were sucking each other's faces into their mouths, turning everyone off their meals, but they quickly split apart when Severus walked up behind them and cleared his throat. Hermione was unsure how they had managed to evade the attention of Umbridge. This thought didn't detract from her quiet giggles though.

Lunch ended and Hermione began to drag both boys to Transfiguration. Even though they weren't excited for the class, Hermione was. They were to be performing a series of animal transfigurations today and Hermione was excited for the challenge. While she had never done more than three in a row, Hermione was sure that she could do several more.

The trio took their seats and Hermione was so excited she was squirming in her seat. Both boys were laughing silently at her excitement, but they were smart enough to not let her see it. Professor McGonagall entered from the side door and with a swish of her robes, began her lesson.

During their last class period, they had gone over theory until even Hermione had wanted to , the stern professor began class by ordering them into their preassigned pairs. Even though Harry was with Crabbe, both boys still followed Hermione and Draco off to the side. Hermione might find the Slytherins insincere, but she could admit that it was nice to be able to get along during class.

Hermione had been prepared to let everyone go first, but they had all insisted that she go ahead and try. Their theory was that if she had mastered the spells, she could help the others. Realizing that their thought process was sound, Hermione stepped away from the group and set her turtle on the ground before her.

Since everyone in their group was aware of her wandless abilities, Hermione didn't bother with her wand. She simply waved her hand over her turtle and it reformed to become a house cat, then a dog, next a sheep, followed by a horse, then finally an elk. The whole class had stopped to watch, Professor McGonagall included. When she vanished the elk, her professor waved for everyone to continue before she walked over to meet with her favorite student. With a quick hand to her shoulders, Hermione followed her professor away from the crowd.

"Have you ever performed this spell before?" Hermione nodded.

"Yes, but never more than three animals. I suppose I should have before I embarked on human transfiguration." Her professor choked a little.

"You've moved that far in your studies?" Hermione nodded. Professor McGonagall gave her a hawkish look.

"Did you do those spells wandlessly?" Hermione wasn't sure if she should answer truthfully. Finally deciding that she could trust her Head of House, she nodded. A strangled sound escaped her lips.

"Would you agree to help with the other three people that were congregated around you?" Hermione gave her a small smile.

"Of course, Professor."

Hermione returned to Harry, Draco, and Crabbe. The three of them worked on the spells for the rest of the period, all three of them managing three animal changes. Crabbe especially looked thrilled with himself and turned an actual smile Hermione's way.

"Thanks, Hermione, I've never been able to get spells like this so quickly. This would usually take me at least a week to figure out." Hermione gave him a smile, loving how it felt to be able to help others.

"You're welcome, Vincent. I'm happy to be of service." Ron took this moment to ruin a happy moment.

"The ugly little bookworm is picking up another snake boyfriend. I guess Malfoy just wasn't enough." Hermione glared at him.

"Don't worry about my life, Ronald. Worry about yourself." He snorted at her words.

"You'll be a whore for everyone else, but I had to try to rape you. What's that say for you?" Hermione went silent and she could feel that her skin was ashen. Ron had never directly brought up what he had almost done to her, especially in class or in front of others. Both Harry and Draco stepped in front of her, eyes hard and expressions impassive. They didn't get a chance to say or do anything before Crabbe stepped forward and punched Ron. Blood exploded from his nose, pouring down his face and flooding his mouth.

"Nobody talks to My Lady like that. You'd do well to keep a civil tongue in your head." Gone was the excited boy that had just completed a spell far quicker than usual. A cold, hard young man that took charge and expected his words to be followed replaced him. Hermione stood and stepped forward, laying her hand on Crabbe's arm.

"He isn't worth it, Vincent. Don't get in trouble over Ronald Weasley." Crabbe turned his hard gaze her way and let it soften just a tiny bit.

"Nobody talks to My Lady that way. My father would have my hide if I allowed something like that to occur right before my eyes and I did nothing." Hermione didn't get a chance to say anything else because they were interrupted by the arrival of Professor McGonagall.

"What is the meaning of this? What happened?" Ron hurried to speak first.

"I was talking to Granger and Crabbe got angry so he just punched me out of nowhere." The older Gryffindor turned towards Crabbe and raised an eyebrow. Hermione could see that she didn't believe Ronald, but she had to listen to everyone's side. Crabbe's voice was still hard when he spoke.

"We were minding our business, I was thanking Hermione for helping me complete the spell in class for the first time ever. Weasley started calling her names and making comments about her boyfriends. She told him to mind his business and in turn, he called her a whore and made mention of his trying to rape her. I felt that a single punch in the face to shut him up was justified, especially since he didn't listen and shut up when she asked it of him in a much nicer way than I did."

Hermione was astounded. That was probably the most she had ever heard Crabbe say in a single space of time. Draco had always been the one to speak while Crabbe and Goyle both laughed at his words or made simple comments that didn't require much thought. Professor McGonagall pulled her from her thoughts.

"Mr. Weasley, Hospital Wing, twenty points from Gryffindor, and a week of detention with Mr. Filch for your disrespectful treatment of someone who used to be your friend. Go now." Ron glared at them all before turning on his heel and stalking out of class. Their transfiguration professor turned towards Crabbe and gave him a small smile.

"This is a one-time thing, Mr. Crabbe. Since you were defending my lion cub and promoting house unity, I'm going to award you fifteen points and assign you one detention to be spent with Professor Snape. Report to the dungeon at six tonight." Crabbe broke out in a smile and nodded.

"Sure, Professor, I won't forget." Professor McGonagall gave Hermione a smile before dismissing them all from class.

Both Harry and Draco wrapped an arm around her waist as she stood, both aware that Ron's words had affected her more than she had shown everyone. She snuggled into Draco's side while Harry gathered their bags. The blond pressed a quick kiss to her mouth as Crabbe turned their way.

"Thank you, Vincent. I appreciate you sticking up for me. I don't have any problems telling him or his girlfriends where to go, but when he brings up what he did to me, I freeze." Crabbe nodded and followed them out of the classroom.

"That's understandable. A couple of the older snakes are working on a plan to take care of him like the Dark Lord ordered. Then he won't be a problem anymore."

Hermione wanted to be sickened by his words, but she wasn't. No, she didn't want them to kill Ronald, but she liked feeling like she had support, that there were people out there that had her back. She knew that it derived from having no friends when she was a child and being ridiculed once she came to Hogwarts. As much as she didn't want the hit to occur, she was leaving it in the hands of the Headmaster to protect her ex-friend. She couldn't tell everyone not to kill the redhead because that would blow her cover. Deciding not to dwell on the subject any longer, she sent a smile his way.

"If you ever need help, I spend most of my free periods in the library. Just find me and I'd be happy to help you." Crabbe grinned a boyish grin at her and nodded.

"Thanks, Hermione. I have to get to Divination." Without waiting for a response, he turned and headed for the stairs that would lead him to the North Tower.

They usually did spend their free periods in the library, and today was no different. Hermione started to make her way towards the stairs closest to her favorite place in the world, but Harry stopped her and tugged her further on, towards a staircase that led to the seventh floor. She instantly understood and let both boys lead her to the top of the castle where the Room of Requirement was located.

Draco paced the corridor so their room would appear, the room that they slept in almost every night. Once the door appeared, the trio entered and dropped their bags on the floor unceremoniously. Hermione dropped onto the edge of the bed and flopped back with a sigh.

"Ronald is such a dick." Both boys moved closer and Hermione could feel them at her feet. Harry spoke, his voice husky.

"We know. That's why we brought you here. We're going to relax you." Hermione didn't even get a warning when Draco waved his wand and divested her of all her clothing.

Hermione had been mostly naked in front of her boyfriends. She usually slept in her knickers and nothing else since she was sandwiched between two young men that were furnaces when they slept. The boys both gasped when they laid eyes on her bare prissy, and Hermione was instantly self-conscious.

They had messed around in their time spent in the Room of Requirement. She had manually brought both boys to completion several times and had even performed fellatio on both of them a few times. The Gryffindor has loved the power it gave her even though she didn't feel like she was doing a very good job.

Each boy had only stroked her to completion once. Hermione still couldn't help that she was embarrassed by how much of a mess she made when she came. Both boys had made a show of licking her juices from their fingers, but she still wasn't assured that they liked it.

Firm hands gripped her ankles, keeping her from drawing her legs up to hide her womanhood. Harry jumped on the bed next her, completely naked himself, and bent to kiss her. He was forceful and rough, his tongue plundering her mouth, tasting every inch of her. She could do nothing but whimper into his mouth. Forgetting the embarrassment she had been feeling, she buried her fingers into his messy black hair and tugged softly.

Harry groaned and dragged his mouth from hers to trail it across her cheek and along her jawline. Her breathing was already ragged and she was only slightly aware of Draco kissing his way from her ankle to her knee. Later, she would realize that they were ganging up on her, Harry keeping her busy while Draco slowly made his way to the honey pot, so to speak.

Harry nipped her throat sharply, drawing a pained hiss from Hermione. Draco's tongue was cutting a trail from the back of her knee towards her inner thigh. Harry's mouth descended on her breast, sucking her nipple in roughly. The pull of his mouth against her tit made her core burn hotter and hotter.

Draco nipped the skin right next to her pussy, his hands on her knees holding her wide open. Hermione couldn't have fought him off if she wanted to. It was sensory overload. She felt a spell brush against her legs and it took a moment for her to realize that Draco had placed a sticking charm on her knees so they would adhere to the bed. She was stuck with her legs spread as wide as they would go, and as embarrassed as she felt at the thought, it made her burn inside, made her long for relief.

It was as if they had worked it out beforehand, and later she would realize that they probably had. Just as Draco took his first soft lick at her center, Harry nipped her nipple roughly, bringing a slight tinge of pain to mingle with the pleasure. Hermione gasped and was instantly rendered silent by Draco licking her again. She could feel him tracing every fold of her pussy with his tongue, licking her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Harry moved to her head and began rubbing his cock all over her face.

Hermione couldn't believe how amazing it felt to have his tongue on her in such an intimate way. The tip of his tongue, the same tongue that had caused her such pain through the years, traced circles around her clit before flicking the bundle of nerves sharply. He repeated the pattern several times and Hermione could no longer hold in a gasp. Harry saw his opening and slid his cock in her mouth from above.

Hermione eagerly took him, needing something to focus on aside from the pure pleasure radiating from her core. She swirled her tongue around the tip as she had discovered that both of them loved before lifting her head to take more of him. He chuckled at her eagerness and obliged her by pressing himself further into her mouth. Hermione had never had much of a gag reflex before and both boys seemed to love the fact that they could go as deep in her mouth as they liked. Harry began to thrust himself in and out of her mouth, his hands reaching out to find her nipples. He tweaked them over and over while Draco began to thrust his tongue in and out of her passage. Harry began his dirty talk and Hermione was no longer ashamed to admit that she loved it.

"Fuck, 'Mi, Draco has his tongue buried in your cunt and my cock is buried in your throat. Someday soon we're going to both fill you with our come in this exact position. Your pussy is beautiful, pink and swollen, looking just like a precious flower. After you swallow down my come and Draco licks you clean, I'm going to take my turn to feast between your thighs." Hermione could feel herself nearing the edge of the cliff.

Draco slipped two fingers inside her while he continued to flick her pleasure pearl with his tongue. Hermione reached her hand up around Harry and found his backside. She thought of a lubricating spell and her hand became slippery. Hermione didn't give Harry a chance to protest, she slipped her finger into his back entrance and began to rub against the bundle of nerves inside.

The Gryffindor had read about this technique in one of her mother's magazines and though she had never felt the urge to try it before now, she wanted to see if it would net her the reaction that the article said it would. The article didn't lie. Harry groaned and began to thrust in her mouth even faster. Hermione kept her tongue in constant contact with his shaft and she could feel that he was close.

Much to her surprise, she felt Draco slide a finger in her puckered star, probably using the same spell she had. She felt completely full and she wasn't sure she could hold on much longer. When Draco sucked her clit into his mouth and thrust his fingers inside rougher than he had been, she couldn't hold it back any longer.

Hermione moaned around Harry's cock, she could feel her pussy spasming around Draco's hand. He continued to lick her, drawing out the pleasure for as long as he could. She began to flood the bed, but she didn't get a chance to be embarrassed. Harry had grown impossibly hard in her mouth from the vibrations of her moans. Hermione plunged her finger deep inside him one last time and Harry exploded in her mouth. Not so much in her mouth, but down her throat since he was buried to the hilt. While he jerked with every spurt of come released, Hermione withdrew her finger and focused on riding out her own orgasm. Harry pulled his cock from her mouth and was squeezing her breast as he spoke.

"I can see your cunt spasming around his hand. Do you like his fingers in your arse? Someday soon, Draco is going to have your pussy and I'm going to fuck your arse. You're going to scream in pleasure and soak us with your come."

Hermione finally felt herself coming down from her orgasm. Draco pulled his hands from her pussy, removed his fingers from her arse. He used his thumbs to spread her folds while he lapped at her opening in a langorous way, licking up every drop of fluid she had to offer. Harry fisted her hair and lifted her head so she had to watch Draco between her thighs.

"Watch him lick you clean, 'Mi. Watch him lick your delicious come from your pussy so I can take my turn. Fuck, it's hot watching him clean you like that. Are you going to suck his cock as good as you sucked mine?" She whimpered out a yes and felt the familiar stirring in her core.

Draco pulled away and wiped his mouth so he could trade places with Harry. Her knees were still stuck to the bed, but she didn't care anymore. She only wanted relief from the burn that was blazing it's way through her loins. Harry didn't work his way into it like Draco had, but she figured it was because they had never gone down on her before. Draco was usually very forceful. Harry crammed his tongue as deep inside her as he could manage while his fingers began to strum her clit.

Draco straddled her face and she eagerly opened for him. He didn't give her time to work into it like Harry had, he plunged himself as deep in her mouth as she could take. His fingers found her nipples and were pulling on them, rolling them between his fingers, elongating them. It was sweet torture.

Harry pulled his tongue from her pussy and out of nowhere a sharp slap to her clit made her cry out on Draco's cock. Harry chuckled before speaking.

"You stuck your finger in my arse without permission, Hermione. You're going to get five more slaps to your pretty little cunt before I lick you anymore." If Harry thought the slaps hurt, he was wrong. They were a little humiliating, sure, but pleasurable. Another sharp slap brought another gasp from her lips. Deciding that it would be worth it, she slipped a finger into Draco's arse too.

The blond gasped before he started to fuck her mouth with abandon. Another slap. Then another. She was pretty sure that Harry cut them short so he could bury his fingers inside her. His mouth was hot on her aching flesh and she discovered that he was just as skilled with his tongue as Draco. Draco was still pulling her nipples, but was groaning out words.

"Fuck, Princess, I want to watch him spank you soon. Watching him spank your pussy is making it very hard not explode in your mouth. I want you to flood his face so he can taste how yummy you are, I want to watch him clean you up." Hermione was much more sensitive this time around and his words sent her over the edge. She screamed around Draco's cock and her orgasm seemed to send him over the edge too.

Hot spurts of come shot down her throat and Draco jerked with every spurt as Harry had. He finally stilled above her so she pulled her finger from his arse. She was still spasming around Harry's hand and Draco watched as she finally began to sag in exhaustion. Harry pulled his fingers from her body and began to lap at her folds. He licked her for almost ten minutes, never near her clit, just cleaning every last drop of arousal from her womanhood.

When he finally pulled away, Harry waved his wand at her legs and her knees were released. Hermione could feel drops of come on her face and she felt wet between her legs, but she couldn't care about that at the moment. All she wanted to do was take a nap. Both boys settled in on each side of her, Harry spooning her from behind while she laid across Draco's bare chest.

Nobody said a word, but she felt Draco set an alarm on his wand. They snuggled under the duvet together, wrapped in each other's arms. Hermione had never felt so much love. She let sleep pull her under, smile still gracing her features.

-O-

Ronald Weasley was no idiot. No, he didn't care about schoolwork and he didn't care about grades. However, this didn't mean that he was stupid. He had a brilliant mind for strategy and could catch nuances of a situation that most people missed.

Crabbe had called Hermione "My Lady". Twice. He hadn't even realized he had said it, but Ron had caught it. Is that why she had become so friendly with the Slytherins? Had they decided to elevate her above all others? He couldn't figure out why they would do it, however. He had only heard that kind of reverence when people spoke of the "Dark Lord". Had Hermione turned dark? Was she a traitor?

Ron needed to find out. Yes, he desired her, even more so now that she was gorgeous. He shouldn't have tried to rape her, but he can't say that he regretted it. He regretted that the dirty bitch somehow managed to overpower him. If she had turned dark, his family could be in danger. The whole world could be in danger if she and Malfoy managed to turn Harry dark as well.

Ron vowed to watch Hermione and her merry band of snakes very closely. Anything he discovered would be reported straight to Dumbledore. He wouldn't let anyone turn Harry to the dark side.

Deciding that he would begin his spying the next day since he had detention with Filch early on in the evening, Ron hurried off to find Lavender to see if she'd agree to a quickie before dinner.

-O-

Severus was drinking a strong cup of tea in the staffroom, keeping an eye out for Umbridge. The last thing he wanted was another attempt at seduction on his person. He held the current potions journal open in front of him while he waited rather impatiently for Minerva to show up.

When she finally breezed through the door, he sighed in relief. He hated waiting in the staffroom now that Umbridge stalked him relentlessly. Minerva made her way over to him and took the seat across from him, taking it upon herself to pour herself a cup of his tea. Severus remained silent knowing she would speak when she had settled.

"I scheduled you a detention tonight, Severus." He sighed as he thought about his quiet evening in being blown to smithereens.

Minerva went on to explain what had happened in her Transfiguration class. His blood boiled at the thought that Weasley was taunting his daughter about his attack on her person. The fact that Crabbe had stood up for her and showed Weasley that terrorizing Hermione was not acceptable astounded him. Minerva sighed as she finished.

"I gave the boy one night of detention with you and awarded him points. Don't be too harsh on him." Severus smirked her way.

"Showing your favoritism, Minerva?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know Miss Granger is my favorite student in many years. I'm not partial in grades or anything else, but I will be partial when it comes to her being attacked in this school by someone who was supposed to be her friend." Severus had to remind himself that Minerva knew everything about Hermione's paternity and the prophecy. He tipped the side of his mouth upward just a little before he spoke.

"I'm a little partial to her myself. I'll make sure that Crabbe's detention isn't a terrible experience." Minerva heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Severus."

Minerva departed soon after their conversation ended and Severus decided that he needed to make his way to the Great Hall. While he wasn't starving, he had lessons with his three young charges that evening after detention and that usually took quite a bit of energy.

He entered the Great Hall and made sure that his daughter was at the lion's table as usual. She was eating and reading what appeared to be an advanced transfiguration text while the boys were involved in an animated conversation with the Weasley twins. The girl Weasley was seated next to the Lovegood girl and it was obvious that they were a couple. Severus hadn't seen that one coming. He wondered if the Weasley parents had anything to say about their daughter's sexual orientation.

Dinner passed without incident and he could tell from the look on his daughter's face that she was bullying the two boys into going to the library with her. He snorted softly to himself and made his way down to his classroom. Once there, he settled behind his desk to begin grading the essays that had been turned in that day.

At a couple minutes before six, there was a knock at the door and Severus beckoned for Crabbe to enter. Once the beefy boy was standing respectfully in front of his desk, Severus lifted his gaze to him. He set down his quill and folded his hands on his lap.

"Professor McGonagall informed me as to why you have detention today. While I applaud you for taking the initiative to protect my daughter from her attacker, I must remind you that Slytherins are subtle. Next time, wait until Weasley is alone before you strike. Make sure you have an alibi. Then it's his word against yours." Crabbe lowered his gaze and nodded.

"Yes, sir." Severus didn't want the boy to hesitate if the time came for action again, however.

"This being said, your actions have gained the approval of the Gryffindor Head of House. While she boasts she has no favorites, it's quite obvious that my daughter is her favorite student in many, many years. McGonagall would be a powerful ally if you continue to support her favorite little cub." Crabbe grinned his way.

"Yes, sir." Severus waved him towards a desk.

"You only have an hour of detention and you will serve it by working on your homework." Severus watched the portly young man settle in a desk and pull out his homework.

The hour passed quickly and when his time was up Crabbe bade him a quick goodbye and let himself out. Severus continued on for a couple more hours, making sure that all his grading from all his classes was caught up. When he finally threw down his quill, he was disgusted with most of the students in the school. So much potential, but none of them cared enough to try.

He could admit that Hermione and Draco had been a good influence of Harry. While his classwork was nowhere near the level of theirs, he had improved so much that Severus would have to say he was one of his better students. Draco and Hermione remained the only ones with a true talent for the subject, but Potter did fair in a subject that it was clear he hated.

The snarky professor summoned his firewhiskey and sipped a glass until it was time to head to his quarters to meet with his daughter and her beau. It was just past curfew and he knew that they would careful as they traversed the corridors. He had just sat in one of his arm chairs when the door to his quarters swung open and the three students emerged.

Severus didn't stand on tradition and simply waved them all forward. He didn't want to drag this lesson out any longer than he had to since he felt this would be their last lesson. Both boys had been close to mastering false memories their last lesson and Hermione was able to break through both of their barriers with ease. The latter part of that equation made him nervous, unsure if they could withstand the Dark Lord, but Severus could no longer break through their shields. This being said, he decided to just attribute the ability of Hermione to break through as her being a prodigy when it came to matters of the mind.

Severus waved Harry forward first and he quickly pulled one of the chairs closer. He wasted no time in brandishing his wand and ordered the young Gryffindor to show him an obviously false memory. Harry obliged and showed him a memory of him growing up with the Weasleys, he couldn't have been more than five years old, and they were swimming in the pond. It appeared to be someone's birthday party and Severus was impressed. He withdrew from his mind and Harry didn't seem to be affected.

"Very good, . You are officially finished with lessons in Occlumency." Harry smiled as Hermione grinned at him. He stood and Severus watched as he waved Draco forward. His godson quickly moved forward and took a seat in the armchair.

"Show me something obviously fake." Severus had decided to make the rule that the memories were to be an obvious lie after Hermione had shown him the very real-feeling memory of her being assaulted by Harry and Draco. Draco nodded that he was ready and Severus pointed his wand at his godson.

Draco showed himself as a young child as well, but with a younger Severus. He was teaching the young child how to cast the killing curse and had a maniacal laugh when Draco succeeded. Even though he knew the memory was a complete fallacy, it was extremely convincing. He withdrew from Draco's mind and gave him an approving nod.

"Excellent. You have reached a level of proficiency where you don't need any further instruction. Congratulations to both you and Mr. Potter." Draco fistpumped, something Severus had never seen him do. Hermione and Harry had definitely been good for him. He stood from his chair and Hermione made her way over in front of him.

While he knew his daughter was extremely talented in reading minds, he didn't think that she would be able to break through his shields. Voldemort had tried many times and had not succeeded in many years. This was why he was now offering up his mind for her to try to read. She had no knowledge of his shields and he had no plans on telling her. He wanted to know just how good she was.

Severus gave her a nod to show he was ready and he could tell that she was nervous. In her mind, she was going up against a master. The boys watched in anticipation. Hermione didn't bother to use her wand as she entered his mind.

Severus swamped her with memories of teaching, passing moments of his childhood, brewing potions, pretty much his standard deluge of memories when he knew someone was trying to infiltrate his barriers. He could feel her moving between the memories, letting tiny trickles of magic flow into him so she could detect his weaknesses. Neither Albus nor the Dark Lord had broken through his barriers in years.

Out of nowhere, Severus realized he was fucked. His daughter, the light of his life, found the tiniest frisson on one of his shields and she began to burrow inside. He tried to shore up the barrier, but there was no stopping her. Every embarrassing memory he had ever had assaulted her. Every prank the Marauders had ever played on him, all the times his "father" had stripped him naked and beaten him. His first time having sex, with Lily no less, and how it had ended before it started. Finally, the worst memories he had of his days as a Death Eater, raping, torturing, murdering. They all flooded his daughter's mind and there was no stopping it.

Severus finally had to result to physically locking her out of his mind when she couldn't seem to figure out how to withdraw from behind his barrier. He raised his wand and shouted "protego", only for his daughter to blast back into her chair hard enough to throw it backwards. He was panting as he came to realize just how much of his life she had seen.

Both boys were helping Hermione to her feet and she had tears down her cheeks. Once she was on her feet, she made to step forward so she could embrace him he was sure. However, Severus didn't want pity and didn't want a show of emotions at the moment. He wanted a glass of firewhiskey and a few moments to center himself again. His voice was much colder than he had meant for it to be when he spoke.

"Just leave me alone. You all pass. Get out." The heartbreak and rejection in his daughter's eyes broke his heart, but he couldn't say anything at the moment. If he did, he might burst into tears and that was the last thing he wanted his daughter to see.

Therefore, he watched the three of them gather their things and make their way towards the door. Hermione threw one last look his way before she left, empathy clear in her eyes. Once they were gone, Severus raised his wand and righted the tipped over arm chair. He didn't bother with a glass, simply took a healthy drink straight from the bottle of firewhiskey.

He settled into his armchair and willed himself to calm down. An hour went by before he had found the calm center that he always kept around him when life was a mess. Tomorrow he would speak with Hermione and make her realize that she wasn't to blame and he wasn't angry with her. Now, he had to go meet with Albus.

Tomorrow would be better. He had to believe it.

-O-

Albus watched as his Potion's Master stumbled into his office, obviously half drunk or well on his way. He unceremoniously flopped himself into the chair in front of Albus' desk. He raked his hair back off his face and Albus was surprised to see just how terrible Severus looked. Severus could hold his liquor fairly well, it was a must considering the line of work he took part in, but once he was past the point of no return, it was never pretty.

"What has you in this state, Severus?" He snorted and pulled a bottle out of his robes so he could take another drink. Albus watched, worried now that it was something serious. Once the bottle was secreted back in his robes, he met the Headmaster's gaze.

"I gave the three of them a last test, so to speak. Potter and Draco passed, they did well when it came to creating memories." Albus nodded, pleased, but unsure why this was so upsetting. Severus continued.

"How many years has it been since you found your way through my barriers, through my shields?" Albus sat back and thought for a moment.

"It's been since Hermione was born. I broke through your barriers in August of '79." Severus nodded.

"It's been the same for the Dark Lord. Hermione broke through my shields tonight and saw everything. All my embarrassing moments, the beatings my father gave me, the horrible acts I participated in as a Death Eater. I had to physically eject her from my mind. It blew her backwards and she was crying. I sent her away before she could say anything, I couldn't face her like that."

Albus didn't know what to say. Severus was the best in the world at occlumency and pretty fair at legilimency. Voldemort would be the only one that could come close to Albus. Granted, Albus considered himself to be the best, but he only attributed that to his age. He had every expectation that Severus would surpass him once he was as old as Albus was. He sighed before he spoke.

"Are you sure you weren't just having a bad night, not trying your hardest since you didn't expect her to do well against you?" Severus snorted.

"I urge you to test them, to test her. They're ready. We need to set a date for you to tell us what your plan is." Albus sighed again and realized he wasn't going to get any further with Severus. He leaned forward and consulted his calendar.

"Nine o'clock in two days time. I can move my meeting that night to another evening." Severus stood as he nodded.

"I'll let them know." He had almost made it to the door when Albus called out to him.

"Take a sober-up potion, Severus. You'll regret it in the morning if you don't." Severus didn't answer, he simply kept walking. He exited the office and left Albus to his thoughts.

The Headmaster was unsure what to do with the information Severus had brought him. If what he said was true, Hermione could very well be the most accomplished person in the world at mind magics, all at the tender age of sixteen. Albus shook his head. There was no possible way she could be that good after only six weeks of instruction. He would test her himself, and while he was sure that she would pass his test, there was just no possible way she was that good. Severus must have been having an off day.

Raking a hand through his beard, Albus stood and made his way up the stairs to his private quarters. He was exhausted, after all. With one last thought of Severus and hoping that he would take a potion, he swept his wand across the room, extinguishing all the lights, and headed to his bed.

A/N- Another one bites the dust! This chapter was much quicker getting written since I actually had a day off. Hope you all enjoy it! Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what ya think.

Next chapter, more D.A. and the meeting with Dumbledore.

Love,

Alicia


	20. Chapter 20

kA/N- I'm still having problems with reviews. I've been able to reply to some of you, but for those that haven't gotten a response from me in regards to your review, I apologize. Again. For the third chapter in a row. Ugh. I really do appreciate your feedback, y'all. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, they make me so happy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. I haven't made any money off this story or any others. My bank account tells no lies.

Chapter 20

December 2, 1995

Hermione sighed as she twirled her quill in her fingers. She was trying her hardest to stay focused on the Herbology lesson at hand, but it was bloody difficult. Not only was it her least favorite subject aside from Divination, they were reviewing. She hated review classes.

Harry and Draco both seemed zoned out next to her, neither one of them enjoyed the subject either. In fact, now that she thought about it, the whole class seemed to be somewhere else rather than paying attention to their lesson. Neville seemed to be the only exception and she was certain that it was because it was a review lesson.

She and her two mates had been cleared by her father in the art of occlumency. She had been cleared in legilimency as well. While she was proud of all of them for this incredible feat, it was still tinged with a splash of bitterness after what had happened just the night before last.

Hermione knew better than anybody about wanting to keep things private, about wanting to keep things to herself. She had yet to share her last moments with her mother with anyone, and truthfully, she had no intentions of ever doing doing so. She understood completely just why her father had been so upset with her the last night of their lessons.

Honestly, she had tried to find a way out of his memories the second she realized that she had broken through his shields. She had only entered through a tiny pin hole and it was much more difficult to exit. Hermione had seen far more of her father's memories than she had ever wanted to, than he had ever wanted her to.

This being said, she couldn't take it back. She would if she could, but it just wasn't possible since the last thing she wanted was for someone to obliviate her. Honestly, nothing she saw in his memories was anything she hadn't already expected aside from the sexual encounters with Harry's mum. Draco had told her awhile back that her father had been abused as a child, much the same as Draco had. While she burned with questions about his relationship with Lily, she would respect his privacy and say nothing about what she had seen.

*Flashback*

Hermione felt terrible. She knew her father was angry with her, he hadn't met her eyes all day. She wanted to go beat on his door and tell him that she couldn't help what she had seen, she had simply done as he had bid her, but she didn't. If her father wanted space, that's what she would give him.

The Gryffindor picked at her dinner while the boys conversed with the twins and Neville. She wasn't entirely sure what they were discussing since she was obviously distracted, but she was happy that they were getting along with a couple lions. As if both boys knew that her thoughts had turned to them, they turned her way and rubbed her legs under the table. She gave them both a reassuring smile, urging them to continue their conversation with the twins.

Harry and Draco both had questioned her about what had happened the night before, but she had simply told them that she broke through his shields and saw things that she was sure their professor would never want anyone to see. Both looked curious, but had remained silent on the matter from then on. She was pulled from her thoughts by her father's silky tone.

"I need to speak with you alone, Miss Granger. There is a problem with your last essay." She nodded her head meekly, wanting to put on a show for the Gryffindor table. While she knew that the Slytherins and Umbridge wouldn't question her being pulled aside by Severus, it would look suspicious to the rest of the students and staff if she looked thrilled to be pulled away by the dreaded Professor Snape.

"Yes, sir." She gave a nod to both boys watching her with serious eyes. She could see that they were worried about just what her father was going to say to her. Hermione quickly gathered her things and turned so she could follow her father.

Hermione had assumed that he would lead her into an abandoned classroom like he had the last time, but instead he started leading them towards the dungeons. She followed silently and two steps behind him, just in case anyone important was watching.

Severus led her to his quarters and she was just a little surprised. Hermione hadn't expected him to want her anywhere near anything personal for quite awhile. He gestured for her to take a seat on the couch before the fire and he settled next to her. She remained silent while she allowed him to gather his thoughts. After several minutes, she couldn't take the silence anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Dad, I tried to get out, but I squeezed in through a pinhole, it was so hard to find it again to leave. Please forgive me."

Her father didn't say anything, but rather opened his arms. She understood instantly and launched herself into his chest. His arms wrapped around her and she buried her face in his frock coat. They stayed like that for several minutes before Severus pulled her away from his chest to cup her face in his hands.

"I am not angry with you, I'm so bloody proud of how far you've come I want to shout it to the world. I'm more embarrassed that you saw things that I never wanted anyone to view. Nobody has broken into my mind since you were born. To suddenly realize that my mind isn't impenetrable is very unnerving." Hermione blinked owlishly for a moment before she realized what he was saying.

"Dad, I would never invade your mind, I swear." He chuckled softly before leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

"I know, sweet. You're very noble." He sobered and lowered his hands from her face.

"Do you have any questions about what you saw?" Hermione wanted to know about Lily, but she didn't want her father to feel like he had to talk. The memory was locked away for a reason. Instead of asking, she shook her head. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You may be amazing at mind magic, but you're a still a shite liar. Just ask." Hermione snorted. She wanted to point out that if she could fool her grandfather, she obviously wasn't shite at lying, but decided to keep that comment to herself. She asked tentatively about Lily.

"Did you and Lily date?" He sighed and leaned back into the couch cushions. She watched as he raked his hand through his hair, a nervous habit that she noticed he was displaying in front of her more often. She hoped that it was because he was growing more comfortable with her.

"We dated in our fifth year at Hogwarts. We lost our virginity to each other and it was one of the happiest times of my life. I ruined the friendship and the relationship when her merry band of Marauders humiliated me in front of the whole school. She tried to defend me, but the last thing I wanted was for a woman to have to fight my battles. She wouldn't have stopped though, so I did one of the things I regret most in life. I called her a mudblood." Severus paused and Hermione waited patiently this time for him to continue. When he did, he sounded defeated and Hermione didn't like it.

"I apologized more times than I could count. I wouldn't leave the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, I slept in the corridors trying to get her just to listen to me. She never did. She moved on to several other boys before she started dating Potter in our seventh year. The rest is history." Hermione couldn't believe how cold and callous Harry's mum had been. Her tone was probably a little disrespectful, but she didn't care.

"She never forgave you? She never spoke to you again?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, but shook his head.

"No, she didn't speak to me until she discovered that I was spying for the Order. Shd had married Potter by then and she still didn't forgive me. I ruined the best thing in my life because of pride." Hermione tried not to take offense that he called Lily the best thing in his life. She should probably keep her mouth shut, but it just wasn't in her nature.

"How could she be so selfish? Not even speaking to you is something an eight year old would do, let alone not forgiving you for something you deeply regretted." Her father's eyes flashed and his voice lost the warmth it usually had when he spoke to her.

"You have no right to speak of her like that, you don't know the betrayal she felt by me calling her a racial slur. She had every right to not forgive me." His voice steadily got louder as he continued.

"You have no idea what it's like to ruin the best thing to ever happen to you because you were stupid. You've never had to find it in your heart to forgive someone that's supposed to love you because they called you the most terrible name imaginable." Hermione couldn't stay there any longer and listen to him. She stood and started for the door, but was stopped when a hand gripped her wrist.

"Don't you walk away from me, young lady. Just because you don't like what I'm saying doesn't mean you get to just walk out." Hermione flung his hand back at him, no longer interested in trying to leave the argument.

"You say I don't understand? I don't know how fucking hard it is to forgive? Maybe you should pull your head out of your arse and think about that statement. Draco called me a mudblood for years, wished me to die in the Chamber of Secrets, and when he apologized a single time, I accepted it and forgave him. You made me fucking cry my eyes out last year when Draco hexed me, you didn't even apologize and I forgave you. Harry turned on me third year over that stupid fucking broom, made comments about me being a teacher's pet and trying to mess up his life. He apologized and I forgave him. You let Albus fucking Dumbledore steal me from my mother and stick me with a random family and I fucking forgave you." By now she was yelling, and she couldn't help it. She was so angry.

"If that bitch couldn't forgive you, it's because she was selfish. I'm glad she moved on because you deserve better." His hand snaked out and caught her chin. While he wasn't squeezing her hard, she knew it was going to bruise. She had always bruised easily.

"Lily Evans was the best thing that happened to me in my whole miserable life. She wasn't selfish, she was a wonderful person." Hermione jerked her face out of his hands.

"You're entitled to your opinion of Lily Potter just as I am. However, you've said several times that she was the best thing in your life. Spend time with your dead saint then, I'm done." She could see the blind panic in his eyes as she headed for the door. When he said her name, it was soft and so full of emotion, Hermione instantly felt guilty.

"Hermione, please. Please don't leave it like this." She sighed and leaned her forehead on the door while she took a deep breath.

"I didn't want this to happen, that's why I tried to leave earlier. I was on the verge of being a complete bitch." She felt his hands on her shoulders and when she didn't shrug them off, he slid his arms around the front of her and hugged her from behind.

"I'm sorry, sweet, I lost my temper and I shouldn't have said any of those things to you. Please forgive me." She turned in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Only if you forgive me. I shouldn't have said most of those things." He laid his cheek on the top of her head.

"You're entitled to your opinion and you probably have the right more than anyone to say those things." He sighed deeply.

"She wasn't a terrible person, you're just a better one. She was a friend to me when I had nobody. Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't let my mouth run away from me." Hermione had her own thoughts on the matter, but she remained quiet. His hand carded through her curls as he pulled her away from him so he could meet her gaze.

"You're my greatest achievement, Hermione. Not bedding Lily Evans, not being the son of the darkest wizard in history, but you. I would have given anything to keep you instead of let Albus take you." Hermione couldn't help the tears that pricked her eyes. She ruthlessly tamped them back, refusing to let them fall. The Gryffindor gave him a nod.

"I love you, Dad." He kissed her forehead again.

"I love you too, sweet."

*End of Flashback*

Harry nudged her and she was pleased to see that class was over. While she was thrilled with that aspect, this was one of the only times that she had ever spaced out during class to the degree that she missed it completely.

Both of her boys looked relieved to be done with Herbology. She gathered her things and let them lead her back into the castle so they could attend Charms. The air was cold and Hermione was reminded again that it was December. She wondered what she would be doing for the holidays.

Her thoughts were pulled away from the holidays by the warmth of the castle welcoming her inside. Both boys had an arm around her, Draco around her waist and Harry around her shoulders. The path to Charms was uneventful and Hermione hoped that they would learn something iinteresting enough to keep her attention.

They took their seats and waited patiently for Professor Flitwick. He wasn't usually late, which Hermione appreciated, and he didn't let them down that day. The half-goblin informed them that they would be learning how to intricately decorate their own tea cups, which sounded challenging to Hermione.

Professor Flitwick lectured for a half an hour before turning them loose to work on their tea cups. While Hermione found the work to be interesting, it didn't challenge her as she had originally thought that it would. Both Harry and Draco completed their tea cup as well, the three of them leaving with no homework.

They made their way to lunch, everyone chattering quietly in the corridors about the D.A. meeting that evening. Hermione was so proud of all the students that were learning with them. Many of the students had taken the first three classes to master the disarming spell, but since then they had moved steadily forward. Tonight they would be beginning stunning spells.

Lunch was a quiet affair and Hermione re-read her Ancient Runes chapter for the next day. She had wanted to discuss the note she had gotten that morning from her father with the boys in more detail, but that just wasn't possible to do in the Great Hall or in class. She had simply passedl the note asking the three of them to meet in the Headmaster's office at nine that evening down to the boys and let them read it before stuffing it in her bag to destroy later.

Hermione sighed when the bell rang. Defense Against the Dark Arts lie before them and she could admit that she was extremely unexcited. She hated the class and hated the teacher even more. Draco smirked her way and held out his hand for her, urging her to hurry with his eyes. Harry laid a hand on her lower back and let his hand slide under her jumper so he could stroke the skin of her back.

Hermione heaved one last sigh before she gritted her teeth and began to make her way to Defense class. She told herself that it wouldn't matter since the real defense class was later that evening. Screwing a smile in place, she let the boys lead her down the corridor to where the evil toad awaited.

-O-

Severus watched in disinterest as the third year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw class filed out of his classroom. If there was such a thing as calling in sick in this line of work, he would have done so today. While he felt completely fine, he wasn't focused on his tasks and that could prove to be fatal in his line of work.

The last class was now complete and he settled behind his desk. He really wanted a glass of firewhiskey, but didn't want to make drinking a habit. He had already gotten steaming drunk two nights before and he really didn't like to do that while at school.

Right now, it wasn't the fact that he had gotten wasted at school that was praying on his mind. It was the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about the argument he had had with his daughter. He had been so upset at her words that he didn't seem to realize his daughter had been shutting down before him.

When she had told him that she was done, that he could spend time with a dead woman rather than her, he had almost panicked. The Slytherin had just gotten her back and in no world could he dream of losing her again. He wanted to walk her down the aisle, he wanted to give the two idiots she was going to marry the "talk", he wanted to bounce his grandchildren on his knee.

Lily was dead, she was cold comfort to him now. He had realized many years ago that she would never choose him and that she had married his worst enemy. That didn't make his daughter's words any easier to take.

Hermione had told him that she was glad Lily had married James Potter because he deserved better. She had seen the things he had done, he knew he didn't deserve better. He deserved everything that had happened to him throughout his life if only because he ran off his one true friend.

Just when he had decided that Hermione had been wrong, he couldn't help but wonder what if? What if she was right and Lily was just being as selfish as Hermione insisted she was being? Should she have forgiven him? Merlin knew that he had apologized countless times, had cried himself to sleep more than once over the loss of her in his life. He had shown true remorse for his actions regarding Lily and she hadn't even seen fit to listen to his apologies.

Hermione did know what it felt like to be in Lily's shoes. Draco had called her a mudblood for years, he had very vocally tormented her for four years before he had pulled his head out of his arse and apologized. She had forgiven him after a single apology, just one. He wasn't sure how she could forgive and forget so easily, but it seemed to be a talent of hers.

Severus realized that he owed her an apology for the incident in the corridor the year before. He had known at the time that she was crying her eyes out when she left, but at the time he hadn't given a single fuck. Now that she brought it back to his attention, he felt terrible. He would apologize and vow never to hurt her like that again. Not that that vow would get him very far if he kept up in this fashion, but he would definitely vow to be better.

To be honest, his daughter confounded him. When he had asked her if she had any questions about his memories, he had been sure that she would bring up the rape, torture, and murder that he had committed and locked away in his mind. He had assumed she would ask after his childhood beatings, but no. Lily Potter had been the part of his life she hadn't understood. He didn't know how to feel about this.

Severus rubbed a hand down his face and stood so he could make his way to dinner in the Great Hall. He had decided to hide in the Room of Requirement during their meeting tonight so he could see their lessons in action. He wasn't sure why but their meetings fascinated him. While he wasn't a particularly huge fan of Harry Potter, Severus could admit that the boy was extremely gifted in defense. He couldn't wait to see how everyone did learning from a fifteen year old boy.

The Slytherin made his way down to the Great Hall and slid into his chair next to Minerva. He hoped against hope that someone would take the seat next to him, anyone but Umbridge. She simply would not desist in her seduction attempts on his person and it was growing increasingly difficult for him to not vomit in her lap every time she took the seat.

Thankfully, Pomona took the seat next to him and Severus would have kissed her in gratitude if he didn't think that she would assume there were feelings there. He ate his lunch happily, even though he was just a little nervous about what the meeting with Albus later that night held.

As soon as he had finished, Severus slipped away so he could be waiting outside the Room of Requirement when his daughter and her beau arrived to ready the room. He cast the disillusionment spell as soon as he left the Great Hall so nobody would see him anywhere close to the seventh floor. Not only did it mean the students wouldn't realize he was there, it would serve as plausible deniability if Umbridge should ask.

He didn't have to wait long. Hermione (he still wanted to call her Isabella so badly) and her boyfriends appeared merely ten minutes later and Draco paced the wall in front of the tapestry. When the door appeared, Severus stayed as close to the trio as possible so he could sneak in undetected.

Hermione instantly went to the bookcase at the end of room while the boys concentrated on moving the dummies around the room to wherever they had planned on putting them. Once everything was laid out how the boys wanted, they headed over to where Hermione was immersed in the book she had chosen from the shelf.

He watched in horror as Harry pulled her to her feet forcefully and took control of her mouth with his. She was clutching onto his robes, whimpering into his mouth when Draco stepped behind her. His godson's hands slid round the front of her, one cupping her breast and one cupping her mons. He was disgusted as he watched his daughter's hips thrust into his hand of their own accord. He should have known to expect something like this.

Before Severus closed his eyes, he watched his godson's hand disappear in his daughter's knickers while Potter lowered his head to her breast. Severus kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut for the duration of the moans, the cries to not stop, and the whimpers of pleasure.

When he opened his eyes, it was to see Harry and Draco both sucking on their fingers. Hermione was leaning back against Draco and appeared quite sleepy. Both boys had a look in their eyes that he didn't like, but he need not have worried. Hermione narrowed her eyes at them.

"Don't even think about taking this farther. I'm not ready and we have a class beginning in ten minutes. If neither one of you can handle waiting, you know I'll still be your friend if we break up." Both boys had horrified looks on their faces. Draco spoke first.

"Princess, I'll wait til you're thirty if that's what you want, just suck my cock as good as you usually do, and you won't hear a word from me." Harry nodded before capturing her lips with his.

"What he said. Merlin, you are good with your mouth." Severus wanted to puke on the floor in front of him, but he supposed that performing fellatio didn't result in the loss of her virginity or Merlin forbid, a pregnancy. It was a fair trade, especially if Hermione was amenable.

However, Hermione didn't get the chance to voice whether she was in agreement or not because the door swung open and a few Ravenclaws entered. Hermione instantly went forward to socialize with them while Draco and Harry stayed towards the front of the room. It fascinated him just how far Potter and his godson had come. They seemed to be genuine friends now. Severus decided to creep closer to them so he could listen in on their conversation. It surprised him that Harry was speaking.

"You don't think Dumbledore would hurt her, would he? I mean, I know she broke through Professor Snape's shields, but what will happen if she breaks through the Headmaster's? I know he's going to test us, he doesn't trust Professor Snape like he says he does. 'Mi doesn't see it because she doesn't want to and Professor thinks that the Headmaster is his best friend. I don't like the snarky bastard, but you know if he hurts, she'll hurt." Draco threw an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Try not to think on it. Severus can take care of himself. If Dumbledore tests us, we'll be ready, Severus taught us well. Lets both vow to not let Hermione leave our side tonight unless it's with Severus. I don't trust Dumbledore anymore than you do, but I know Severus loves her and he would die before anything happened to her." Harry threw an arm around Draco and nodded.

"You're right. I hope I'm just being paranoid. But with Voldemort breathing down Hermione's throat and vowing to kill me if I don't follow Hermione and the Headmaster urging me that this is what needs done, I can't help but be a little skeptical." Both boys nodded and the conversation ended when they realized that almost everyone had arrived. Severus was thrilled to see that Theo was in attendance and he had an arm planted firmly around his sister's waist. Even though Theo wasn't his son, this made him immensely happy. He hadn't realized that she had built this level of relationship with her brother.

Harry didn't wait for everyone to quit talking. In fact, everyone looked pretty comfortable with each other, even with Draco and Theo. Severus was immensely surprised when Neville Longbottom seemed particularly friendly with both Slytherins.

Harry called their class to order and split them into pairs for the night. He had anticipated disastrous groupings, but he found that he was very wrong. Sure, Hermione paired the meek Hufflepuff Hannah Abbott, but by the end of the class, she had mastered stunning. Draco had paired Neville and had been on the mat by the end of the learning period. Instead of becoming angry, the Slytherin had complimented and encouraged his Gryffindor counterpart. Theo had been paired with one of the older Gryffindors, Katie Bell, if he remembered correctly, and he had been quick to help relieve her of her terrible stance.

Everyone was paired in such a way and they seemed to advance rather quickly. Severus watched as Harry adjusted the pairs once he could see who accomplished the spell and who hadn't. While he hated some of the pairs that existed, he couldn't hate the reason they were there.

By the end of the lesson, Severus was impressed with the level of success of the class. He could no longer tell himself that the class was a waste of time and effort because it was obvious that it wasn't. Everyone was learning, and at a much quicker rate than they ever had in class. It made him wish that the rest of his Slytherins could be trusted enough to join.

Students began to slip out of the Room of Requirement, everyone eager to make it back to their common rooms before they were caught doing magic that their Defense teacher didn't want them doing. While Severus didn't think that the other professors would kick up a fuss if they found out, it was wise to keep it a secret for as long as possible.

Severus was able to slip put of the Room with the last group of students before curfew. Curfew was at nine and that's when their meeting began, so he wanted to be well out of the way before he was closed into the Room by himself. Besides, it looked better for him if he was waiting in Albus' office for them when they arrived.

As he made his way through the corridors to Albus' office, Severus couldn't help but chuckle at what was to come. Albus had been warned, but he wasn't sure that he had heeded his warning. This should be interesting.

-O-

Hermione was happy. The D.A. class had been a success and Draco had stroked her to completion beforehand. She had been sure that they were pressuring her for more, but when they had spoke, it didn't seem like that was the case. Both boys seemed more than willing to wait until she was ready and she couldn't have been more pleased.

She, Harry, and Draco were strolling the corridors just a little before nine so they could make their way to the Headmaster's office. Both boys seemed positive that they would meet a proficiency test at the end of their journey, but she wasn't sure. Surely Dumbledore trusted her father enough to say when they were ready and when they weren't?

They made it to the statue of the griffin just before curfew. It didn't say much for when they would be leaving, but hopefully the evil toad wouldn't be patrolling by the time they left. Hermione hoped to learn Dumbledore's secret plan during this meeting.

The trio traversed the staircase up to the Headmaster's office, none of them announcing their arrival. She assumed that that was what the griffin served for, to alert the Headmaster of visitors and intruders alike.

They entered the room to find that Dumbledore and her father were already seated in front of the fire, both the arm chairs taken. That left the long couch that the trio was happy to use to their comfort. Professor Dumbledore gave them a smile as he began.

"Severus has informed me that the three of you have passed his classes in occlumency and in Hermione's case, legilimency. I find that the secret is big enough that I must test you myself before I can impart my knowledge to you." Hermione couldn't help but snort.

"So you don't trust my father. Even though he's been loyal for almost two decades, that doesn't matter when it comes to a big secret." Severus remained impassive, but both of her boys seemed incensed at her words. Dumbledore tried to passify her.

"It has nothing to do with whether I trust Severus or not. It has to do with protecting this secret to the grave. It has to do with making sure that we don't make a mistake and trust the wrong people." Hermione snorted in disbelief, but she kept her mouth shut. If he really wanted to keep the secret, all he had to do was swear everyone to secrecy by means of an Unbreakable Vow. Her father smirked at the Headmaster and swept his arm out in front of him.

"By all means, Albus, if you don't believe me, feel free to test them. They'll pass, I guarantee it." Hermione was surprised when Harry stood and shifted himself closer to the Headmaster.

"Test me." Even though Hermione hated to watch Dumbledore try to break his way into Harry's mind, she knew it had to be done.

She and Draco watched as Professor Dumbledore made eye contact with the third part of their trio and did his best to delve into his mind. Hermione could see just how much effort Harry was exerting to keep the Headmaster out; it was obvious that he was more powerful than Severus. Draco squeezed her hand when she began to worry how the rest of them would fare. The silence was broken ten minutes later by their aging Headmaster.

"Show me a false memory." Hermione could see that Harry was working as hard as he could to not only keep the Headmaster out of his mind, but to produce a completely believable lie at the same time. She could see the sweat beading on his forehead and for a moment Hermione was terrified that he would fail. What would Albus Dumbledore do to the Chosen One if he didn't pass his test? Hermione smirked to herself. Absolutely nothing was the answer.

Another ten minutes passed before Professor Dumbledore leaned back and broke contact with Hary's mind. Harry wasn't panting, but it was close. He returned to his seat next to Hermione and she raked her hand through his sweaty hair and gave him a look that asked if he was alright. The Headmaster broke the silence.

"Harry has passed. I implore you to keep working on your shields because they wouldn't withstand torture, but you shouldn't have to endure that if we do everything right. Just a suggestion." Hermione leaned over and gave him a sideways hug before Draco stood so he could shift closer to the Headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore didn't appear to like Draco, and it was evidenced in the way that he attempted to infiltrate his mind. She saw Draco's features tighten and she assumed that the Headmaster wasn't being gentle in the ravaging of his mind.

The pair faced off for over ten minutes before Dumbledore demanded that the Slytherin provide a false memory. It didn't appear to make things better between the pair since Draco seemed to be in pain the whole time. Hermione knew that if the person searching your mind wasn't gentle in their search, it could leave the person being ransacked in quite a bit of pain. When the pair finally broke eye contact, Draco rubbed his temples. Hermione was livid.

"I hope you're planning to apologize to my father and Draco. You didn't need to cause him pain, it's obvious he kept you out even with it." She could feel her magic bubbling just beneath the surface after seeing Draco in pain. Dumbledore held his hands out as if it would keep her anger in check.

"It's necessary, my dear. His background has taught him more details of the art then Harry has in his arsenal." Hermione flew to her feet and she could feel her magic swirling around her. Dumbledore appeared to be struggling to move under her onslaught of magic, but everyone else remained unaffected.

"Do I need to remind you what happened to Thorfinne Rowle and Thoros Nott?" Dumbledore blanched slightly as Hermione continued.

"Let me warn you now that if you cause my mates pain, you will be subjected to the same treatment as my grandfather's Death Eaters. If you think you can stop me, by all means, try me." Dumbledore raised his hands again.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, I won't ever use legilimency on Mr. Malfoy again. You have my word." She sat back down next to her two mates and they both began to rub her, Harry her thigh and Draco her shoulder. She gave the Headmaster a grin.

"They serve as my witnesses. If you perform unwanted legilimency on either of my mates again, I will kill you." Her father was smirking behind his hand and she found that she was struggling not to laugh at the Headmaster's reaction. He smoothed his robes and changed the subject.

"Shall we test yourself, Miss Granger? See if you deserve all the praise your father has given you?" Her anger instantly flared again, but she kept it under wraps. He wasn't threatening her mates and she refused to be a monster. She pulled away from Draco and Harry until she was seated directly across from the Headmaster. She smirked his way.

"If you're man enough to try, lets do this."

Hermione didn't even have to try to keep him out. She could feel him battering around in her brain, giving her the worst headache of her life. She had expected no less after she had taunted him. However, he found nothing but an endless barrage of facts. After what she assumed was ten minutes, she took pity on him and quit assaulting him with texts from first year, Shakespeare sonnets, and mathematical formulas. She let him see memories, but nothing that pertained to her time at Hogwarts.

The Headmaster swam around in her memories for almost an hour, trying to find a weaknees. She probably shouldn't have taunted him, as now this was a matter of pride for him, but it was a matter she pwould win. He finally broke the silence of the room.

"Show me a false memory." She decided to royally fuck with him just because he had doubted her father's judgement.

Her mind spun out the tiniest details of Dumbledore taking her aside at Grimmauld Place and shoving her into the bed, threatening her that if she didn't comply with his wishes that he would expell her from Hogwarts and keep her from her mates. He forced himself on her, his old wrinkly body pummeling away into her young, nubile one. He didn't last as long as she had hoped he would. He pulled out of her mind with a hiss. She smirked his way.

"What do you think? Do you think the Wizengamot would believe it?" The Headmaster paled, but was truthful in the nodding of his head.

"That was very convincing. Severus, I find I owe you an apology. She's quite talented when it comes to occlumency." Severus snorted.

"You haven't tested her legilimency yet. You said you were going to. May I implore you to shore up your best barrier a hundred times over?" Dumbledore sighed and readied himself as Hermione fought to laugh. She shouldn't get such pleasure from these events, but he had hurt Draco on purpose. Nobody got away with that. The aging wizard gave her a hard look and a resolute nod before she plunged into his mind.

While Severus' mind had been a fortress, Dumbledore's was an island. More shields and barriers were in place than she had ever seen. This, however, just served as a challenge. She set to work on the first set of shields she came across, then the next. The process was slow, but she wasn't really hurrying. Sure, she could have broken through his barriers with sheer force, but it could have damaged his mind.

Therefore, she took her time as she ransacked his mind. One by one, the shields fell to the wayside. She couldn't judge just how much time had passed, but it had been a fair amount. Hermione had barely broken a sweat, however. When she finally broke through the last barrier keeping her from his most private memories, images flooded her mind, completely horrifying her.

Hermione watched as the love affair between Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald played out, their trysts graphic and numerous. The epic argument between the two lovers and what appeared to be Dumbledore's brother, leading to the death of the Dumbledore brother's little sister. The numerous bribes that he had instigated to get his position as Headmaster.

Hermione boiled inside at the memory of how he had secured Severus' loyalty, the use of the Imperious Curse and the Unbreakable Vow. Severus could never have betrayed Dumbledore even if he wanted to. She watched Sirius be thrown into Azkaban even though Dumbledore knew that the secret keeper had been changed. Dumbledore stopping in at the Dursleys and seeing how they treated Harry, but leaving him there anyways.

The memories flew past her consciousness, and she could feel the panic he felt at her viewing his most private memories. When she felt that she had viewed them all, she ejected herself from his mind. She was panting from her efforts, and he had a stricken look on his face. Without a second thought, her hand snaked out and slapped the older man in the face. His face recoiled and her tiny handprint stood out on his cheek.

"Release him now." The Headmaster was trying to catch his breath.

"I can't. I need a spy for the Order." Her hand reached out and slapped him again.

"Release him this very moment or I will go to the Wizengamot first thing in the morning with that fake memory." The other three people in the room looked on in confusion. Dumbledore turned to Severus and produced his wand. With a quick wave, the Vow was dissolved. Severus breathed in deeply, able to draw a deep breath in for who knew how many years. Hermione turned back to their Headmaster.

"I'll keep everything I saw to myself if you agree to a few conditions. You contact the Wizengamot and tell the truth about Sirius. I don't care what you have to tell them, but you get his name cleared. Harry never returns to his relative's house. When this war is over, you step down as Headmaster. If you refuse to comply with any of these terms, I will take my memory of these events and have you locked away for the rest of your miserable life."

Dumbledore met her gaze and seemed to be judging just how serious she was. Their stare down lasted several minutes before Dumbledore nodded his head and sighed.

"As you wish, Miss Granger. I know my apologies mean nothing now, but I do regret the choices I've made." She snorted in obvious disbelief.

"Save it. I don't give a fuck what you have to say for yourself. Do what I told you and the public won't know your dark and dirty secrets." Severus held his hand up.

"I want to know what the fuck is going on." Hermione turned and met the gazes of the other three people in the room.

"He used the Imperious Curse on you, Dad. That's why you agreed to an Unbreakable Vow. He knew that Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper instead of Sirius and he let him go to prison anyways. He came to visit you, Harry, he knew that your relatives abused you. There's more, but I'll keep that to myself unless he doesn't follow through on his end of the bargain." All three men turned disbelieving eyes towards the Headmaster. When Severus spoke, his voice was hard and cold as ice.

"You will have nothing to do with any of these children. You will not speak to Hermione or Draco unless it directly affects their mission with the Dark Lord. You will relinquish custody of Hermione to myself and custody of Potter to Black. I'm sure he'll agree with the same rules when he discovers why he spent twelve years in Azkaban. Now, I suggest you begin your tale about the Dark Lord or we're going to leave and formulate our own plan." The wizened wizard sighed and folded his hand beneath his chin.

"Lord Voldemort was once known as Tom Riddle. He had been born in an orphanage and his mother died in childbirth. Before she passed, she named him Tom Marvolo Riddle." Hermione and the three men in the room listened quietly to the Headmaster's tale, enumerating how the small boy knew from a very young age that there was something special about him.

The Headmaster told them of Tom Riddle's life, at least until the end of Hogwarts. While she wasn't sure how it was important, she simply knew that it was. These were the details of his life that he didn't want the others that followed him to know.

"There are anchors that you can leave, tying you to this world. They're made by ripping your soul in two and housing it in an object that you can access later. They're called horcruxes." Dumbledore paused for effect. Hermione decided to speak.

"My grandfather made a horcrux?" Dumbledore nodded, then dropped the bomb.

"He split his soul into seven pieces." Severus had his eyes on the Headmaster's face.

"Six horcruxes. Merlin help us." Dumbledore nodded.

"One of them has already been destroyed." He turned to look in Harry's direction.

"The diary you destroyed in the Chamber of Secrets held a piece of Voldemort's soul." Harry raked a hand through his hair.

"That thing put up quite the fight. Can we expect that from all of them?" Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes. I don't have the location of all of them at this time, but I think I know where one of them is. Tom was obsessed with the founders while he was here and I think he started collecting items the founder's had. I would like all of us to go find the possible horcrux over Christmas holidays." Hermione was quick to nod her agrelement.

"That should be fine. I'm not sure what any of us are doing for the holidays, but we can figure it all out before we leave." Harry and Draco were both nodding, but Severus seemed leery.

"Can't you and I handle this, Albus? They are children and shouldn't be forced into such activities." While Hermione knew that his heart was in the right place, that he was just looking out for all their welfare, she couldn't allow that to happen.

"Dad, I know you want to keep us safe, but we have to do this. Grandfather marked Harry as his equal and if we don't get rid of him forever, we'll be forced to live this charade for the rest of our lives." The Headmaster gave a grave nod.

"She's correct, Severus. You should listen to your daughter." Hermione turned cold eyes towards one of her former heroes.

"Stay out of this. It's a family matter." Hermione turned back to her father who met her gaze for several seconds before nodding.

"Alright, but there will be firm rules in place and the three of you will adhere to them." Hermione was quick to nod her agreement as were both boys.

The planning phase seemed to take a mind of it's own between the trio and Severus. Albus was left out of the discussion, which Hermione preferred, but couldn't do anything about. As much as she loathed him and his methods, she knew that they couldn't complete this mission without working together. Therefore, Hermione vowed to bite her tongue and do what needed to be done, but once this war was over, that wouldn't hold. If Dumbledore didn't abide by every demand she set forth, she would enjoy exposing him to the world at large.

Suddenly, Hermione understood why the sorting hat had wanted to place her in Slytherin.

It was nearly midnight when they boys pulled her to her feet in the Headmaster's office and made excuses for them. She was exhausted and she was sure that they knew it. She felt like a zombie as they wove their way through the corridors, making mental plans as they traveled.

They reached the Room of Requirement and it had been quick to grant Harry's wish for a bedroom. Hermione wasted no time in stripping her clothing, suddenly thankful that they had gotten their "fun" put of their way beforehand.

Hermione relaxed into the pillow behind her and waited patiently while her two mates joined her beneath the covers. While the both flashed her impish grins, she did her best to keep a smile of her own face lest it encourage them.

Draco pulled her into his chest and Harry snuggled into her back, arm thrown over her waist possessively. Both boys pressed a kiss to head, and it seemed like no time had passed before Hermione felt her eyes drift closed and sleep haul her under.

A/N- Boom, another chapter down. I felt decidedly evil making Severus listen to their "special time" together, but I thought he deserved a little payback for sneaking around. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Leave me your thoughts, I love them so!

Next chapter, last day of classes before the holidays and solidying the plans for hunting the horcrux.

Love,

Alicia


	21. Chapter 21

A/N- Your support for my story is just overwhelming and I love it. Thank you, thank you for showing the love! Everyone out there reading and reviewing, you're the bomb diggity. Big shout out to Monse97 for being my 500th reviewer (((: I'm hoping I can make this chapter interesting since it's a filler chapter. Anyhoo, onward we travel, my friends.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I truly would like the option to buy Draco Malfoy, or even Fred Weasley, but I just don't see that in the cards. I've made no money off my stories. I'm a broke bitch, lol.

Chapter 21

December 16, 1995

Draco watched in amusement as Hermione hushed everyone down the table. It was their last day of exams and she was determined to get a perfect score by studying every spare moment and that included the breakfast table. Those around her, mostly himself, Harry, the twins, Weaselette, and Looney Lovegood, smiled indulgently while the rest of the table shot her dirty looks.

Draco hated exams. Even though he always did great on them, knew the material inside and out, the atmosphere they created made him nervous. Not that he could show that emotion, Malfoys didn't show nervousness after all. Hermione was always frantic, scared to death that she was going to fail even though she learned the material quicker than everyone else.

Truthfully, it was scary how fast Hermione learned and how easy school work was for her. Draco knew she wasn't challenged at all by the curriculum and he was sure that she should probably be in seventh year classes, if not beyond. If Hermione ever really did turn to the dark, it would be frightening the things she could rain down upon their world.

The bell rang overhead and Draco hid his smile when Hermione started groaning that she didn't get to study enough. While Harry bent to kiss her, Draco rubbed circles in between her shoulder blades. Her worries truly were unfounded. He slid his hand down so he could rest it on her waist, fingers just under her shirt so he could feel her soft, silky skin.

"Princess, baby, you're going to do just fine. You're the best in the school and you're just nervous. Take a deep breath and calm down." Her eyes flashed when she turned his way.

"Don't patronize me, Draco." Draco stepped forward, he did so enjoy the ends of her bouncy curls sparking. He pulled her into his chest so he could kiss her properly. Even though he wanted to deepen the kiss and press her into the wall behind her, he pulled away after only a few moments.

"I'm not patronizing you, Princess. I'm telling you what I know to be a fact. You are going to do perfect and you need to stop worrying." Harry stood behind him and gave him a nervous look. Apparently he had been on the business end of her wand more than once when it came to exam time. Hermione finally nodded before she gave him another peck.

"Alright, fine. Lets do this." Without another word, Hermione snagged both his and Harry's hands and started dragging them down the corridor towards Charms. Draco smirked at Harry, amused to no end at her actions.

They took their usual seats in Charms and Draco made sure to only remove a quill and ink from his bag. He didn't believe in studying the day of a test; it always seemed to make him more nervous. Hermione flipped through her notes one last time while Harry followed Draco's lead and didn't pull his text from his bag.

Professor Flitwick entered and with a swish of his wand, their exams floated up from the surface of his desk and began to pass themselves out among the students. When all the exams were in front of their respective students, the half-goblin bid them to begin.

Draco began, the answers flowing from his quill with ease. He didn't find any questions that he didn't know the answer to and his answers came with ease. Draco checked his work over once and then sent his test to the front where Professor Flitwick stacked it neatly with the others.

Harry finished just shortly after Draco did. He doubted that the Gryffindor checked his work over, he wasn't as academically inclined as Draco and Hermione were, but he usually seemed to do above average in their classes.

Hermione was one of the last people to turn their exam in. Draco had watched her meticulously check her answers, erasing things and adding addendums. After the third time of going over her answers, she heaved a sigh and banished her test to Professor Flitwick's desk. It was shortly after that that their professor dismissed them and wished them a happy Christmas.

The trio left Charms and began to meander their way through the corridors to Transfiguration. Students were everywhere, all of them chattering happily about their upcoming holiday plans and gifts that they had purchased for their family and friends.

Draco was already finished shopping, he had done all his shopping via owl order. He hated braving the stores, the multitude of people, the dank air, the hateful stares. He would much rather choose his gifts from a catalogue, have the money taken from his vault, and have them delivered to him just a few days before Christmas.

Harry and Hermione were completely opposite. He had sent the two of them to Hogsmeade on their own and he had stayed back to spend some time with his Slytherin friends. They seemed to enjoy the crowds, the festivity in the air, and the season all together. He had bid them farewell and thanked Merlin that they hadn't begged him to go as well.

Draco had been surprised that Dumbledore had followed Severus' orders by staying away from himself, Hermione, and Harry. The Slytherin burned with curiosity at exactly what Hermione had found in the recesses of his mind, but she wouldn't budge on giving up the Headmaster's secrets.

Honestly, the ones that she had shared had been bad enough. Draco burned with anger when he considered the fact that the old man had placed Severus under the Imperious Curse so he could extract an Unbreakable Vow. His Head of House had already shared that he was spying because Dumbledore knew the location of Hermione, but he had made him take the Vow regardless.

While Draco didn't know his cousin Sirius Black, the fact that he spent twelve years unnecessarily in Azkaban was enough to make his blood boil. Harry had been furious, had destroyed the Room of Requirement the night of their meeting with Dumbledore. Draco understood to a degree the Headmaster's scheming. If Sirius had been free to raise Harry, he wouldn't have been starved for love by the time he came to Hogwarts and he wouldn't have been as easy to control. It was so much more difficult for Harry and Hermione to understand because they truly were Gryffindors at heart. They struggled to see how someone could dismiss the honor and integrity of doing the right thing.

Draco was pulled from his thoughts by Hermione pulling him to their seats in Transfiguration. She gave him an excited smile and Draco could only wonder at her exuberance for the subject. He knew it was her favorite, but her level of excitement was off the charts.

Professor McGonagall didn't waste any time once she entered the room. She manually passed out their exams, cautioning everyone that if there was any cheating going on, she would know and punish them severely. There were quiet murmurs from around the room to show that they understood and their stern professor told them to begin.

Draco had always struggled with Transfiguration. Hermione was turtoring him, Harry as well, so he felt he understood the subject better than he had, but it was still clear that it was probably the subject he did the worst in. There were a few questions that he just couldn't remember the answers to, which meant that he was forced to leave them blank. Hermione would have been horrified, but then again, she usually was when it came to people not remembering the answers to exam questions.

Harry finished first and stood to go turn his test in. After re-checking his work twice, Draco heaved a sigh and stood to turn his in as well. Hermione was still scribbling away and Draco fought to hide the snort at her swotty ways. Even though she was the most accomplished witch in the room, she was still one of the last people to hand in their exam.

Professor McGonagall excused them from class and urged them to make their way to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry helped Hermione to her feet and Draco carried her bag for her. She always complained about them treating her like an invalid, but Draco would just shake his head and blame it on his gentlemanly upbringing. She would roll her eyes before giggling, and let he and Harry carry on.

They started for the Great Hall, Draco starving. He was sure that Hermione wasn't hungry, her nerves probably kept her from wanting to eat. All they had left of their day was their exam in Defense Against the Dark Arts. While he was sure there would be a test, Draco was unsure of what would actually be on it since they had learned absolutely nothing in the class.

Draco chuckled behind his hand when he met eyes with Harry and glanced to Hermione. She wasn't even bothering to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts and was instead interrogating the twins about how they were doing in their exams. It was a definite sign that the class was a waste of time if their girlfriend wasn't bothering to study for it.

Since most people only had one exam left, Hermione didn't make people be quiet for lunch. After questioning the twins, she started a conversation with Ginny about what her family's plans for the holidays were. Draco knew that this was the first year that neither Harry nor Hermione had been invited to the Burrow for Christmas and it stung both of them. It was Ginny's words that brought Draco to complete attention.

"Well, Mum told the twins that we're doing Christmas at Grimmauld Place. We're all getting picked up at King's Cross and then the Order is going to apparate us to Headquarters." Draco's hair on the nape of his neck stood on end.

It had been planned that Harry and Hermione were going to be apparated by Severus to Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Harry never went home over the holidays and that was still Hermione's place of residence. Draco would be riding the Hogwarts' Express to King's Cross where his father would retrieve him. He would spend through Boxing Day with his family and then Severus would fetch him and bring him to Grimmauld Place for the remainder of the holiday. Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord agreed, both wanting their triad magic to grow stronger. He was just a tad bit surprised to hear that the Lovegood girl would be joining them on Boxing Day as well.

Draco had been fine with this plan until just this moment. Not only would the raping Weasel be in residence with Hermione, so would his verbally abusive mother. While he knew that Hermione was perfectly capable of handling herself, he was nervous that she would become overconfident. Yes, she could easily best Weasel when it came to magic, but she could be physically overpowered quite easily. She was a tiny little thing after all.

Draco said nothing, but shared a meaningful look with Harry. He seemed to have the same concerns reflecting back to Draco in his eyes. The Slytherin heaved a sigh. He would just have to believe that Harry and Severus would keep her safe.

The bell interrupted their conversation and Draco pulled himself out of his worrisome thoughts. Worrying about the Weasel when so many would be around Hermione was pointless and would just cause him to lose sleep.

All three of them seemed to drag their feet on their way to D.A.D.A. The difference between heading to Charms and Transfiguration and heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts was huge. Nobody they passed in the corridors seemed thrilled either.

The trio slid into their seats in Defense Against the Dark Arts and all three of them removed their quill and ink. Hermione had a bored look on her face and Harry was struggling to stay awake. The pink toad finally entered their class, ten minutes late, with a self-important look on her face.

Without a single word, she waved her wand and a huge exam was passed out. Draco was unsure as to just what could be on their test when they hadn't learned a single thing, but he supposed that he would find out. The simpering witch bid them to open their exams and begin with a final warning of severe punishment for those who tried to cheat.

It turned out that the exam was just as big of a joke as the class was. She had taken paragraphs from every chapter of the book that they had read so far and you were forced to fill in the blanks. It set you up to fail unless you had a photographic memory. Unfortunately, Draco did not possess a photographic memory and neither did Harry. Hermione was the only one that he knew that did.

Draco did the best he could and turned his exam in within thirty minutes. He knew that he had bombed it, but what did the toad expect when he was supposed to fill in the tos, what's, and withs of a sentence? Harry wasn't far behind him and he looked upset as he took his seat after handing in his test.

Hermione worked for what felt like ages, but in reality was only forty-five minutes or so. She was quick to turn it in and when she headed back to her seat, he could tell that she realized most of the class was upset. When she retook her seat, her hands rubbed slow circles on both his and Harry's thighs.

Whereas the other professors released the students when their exams were finished, Professor Umbridge kept all students until the bell rang. She had began grading the exams already handed in and Draco wasn't surprised when she stood five minutes before the bell rang and spoke.

"I'm very disappointed in this class. One person, just one person passed this test. The rest of you failed miserably. I've never been more disappointed." Draco reached out and tried to stop his girlfriend, he could see that Harry did as well, but it was no use. Hermione was a force to be reckoned with.

"Everyone probably failed because you expected them to memorize the text, not anything to do with Defense." Umbridge sniffed imperiously.

"The text is your Defense lessons. You'd do well to remember that." Hermione scoffed loudly.

"You shouldn't expect people to memorize the text. Not everyone has a photographic memory." Umbridge's eyes hardened.

"Five points for cheek. Watch yourself, Miss Granger." Draco tried to dig his fingertips into her thigh, uncaring if they left bruises. It didn't matter though, Hermione didn't seem to feel them.

"No disrespect meant, Professor, but if everyone failed the exam, maybe the problem isn't with the students, but the teacher." Even though Draco wanted to cheer when she emphasized the word Professor, he knew this wouldn't bode well for her.

"Detention, Miss Granger, to be served tonight with me. Six o'clock." Draco was even further surprised when Hermione smirked at their professor. As much as he loved her, she scared the life out of him.

"I'll be there. I'm sure my family will be most disappointed." Even though the rest of the class took that to mean that her family would be disappointed in her, it was clear that Umbridge caught the actual meaning. Her family would be disappointed that she received detention from Umbridge.

Draco could have sworn that Severus had told them that he had demanded that if Hermione received detention it be spent with either himself or Professor McGonagall, but Umbridge seemed to forget that fact.

Class dismissed shortly after and the trio made it to their feet, both Gryffindors and Slytherins looking at his girlfriend with surprised awe. Nobody had expected Hermione to stand up for them, yet she had, and while nobody else knew it, she was probably the one person that could get away with it. Once they were out of the room, Harry grabbed Hermione's elbow and pulled all three of them into an alcove.

"What the fuck do you think you were doing? Now you have detention with her!" Hermione shrugged her arm out of Harry's grasp.

"She can't do shite to me. I already know about her blood quill and if she dares use anything not within school rules on me, she knows my father and grandfather will have her hide. That exam wasn't right and you know it. I'm the only one that passed and that's because I have a photographic memory. No, this won't make any difference in your O.W.L. results, but it makes a difference in your overall grade at school. What she's doing isn't right." Draco raked his hand through his long hair.

"Princess, being with her makes us nervous. We know you outmatch her magically, but she could take you physically. You're a tiny thing and she's massive. We appreciate that you want to stick up for everyone, but it's not worth you being punished by that psycho bitch." Hermione took both their hands in hers and smiled softly.

"I know you both hate it, but I'm a Gryffindor through and through. I have serious Slytherin tendencies, but in my heart I'm completely lion. I can't stand for this and if I can change it, I will. Please don't hold that against me." Draco still wasn't happy about the situation, and he could see that Harry wasn't either, but both boys nodded.

They had a meeting with Professor Dumbledore scheduled during their free period that day since there was a D.A. meeting that evening. Therefore, the three of them started to make their way to the second floor rather than the library as per their usual.

Hermione was in the middle of them and both he and Harry had their arms wrapped around her. While some people still stared, once the D.A. had started and the two thirds of the "Golden Trio" seemed to trust not only Draco but Theo as well, everything had seemed to get better. There were no more suspicious looks during the D.A. lessons, nobody complained about being stuck with a Slytherin partner. In fact, everyone wanted to partner the two Slytherins because they were fabulous at defense. Draco could only snort when he was asked how he had gotten so good. It was hard to answer that it was a "get good or be used for Cruciatus practice" kind of situation.

Draco found that he was more widely accepted at the lion's table as well. Not many of the Gryffindors were friendly with him, but they no longer hissed their disapproval and flung insults his way. The trio continued forward when the griffin jumped out of their way, allowing them unfettered access to the Headmaster's office.

The trio stepped out of the staircase and found an office that was empty. Hermione wasn't sure what this meant, but she did take it to mean that they were free to sit as they pleased. Draco felt her grasp his hand and pull him towards the couch by the fire, the same one they had sat in when the ugly truth about their Headmaster had come out.

They waited in peaceful silence for several minutes. Draco was tired, but he knew there was no way he was going to fall asleep in a place that he knew anybody could get to him. Therefore, while Hermione started to doze, he kept a strong vigil at her side, his eyes plastered wide open. Only ten minutes went by before the door to the Headmaster's office swung open and Dumbledore appeared.

"I'm so sorry I was late, please forgive me." None of the trio responded, but nodded in exchange for the Headmaster's words. He took the arm chair nearest the fire and spoke once he was settled.

"We've already discussed that both Harry and Hermione are to travel to Grimmauld Place with Severus for the holidays. Draco will ride the Express to King's Cross where his family will retrieve him and keep him until Boxing Day." Draco and Harry both nodded, but Draco couldn't help but interject. Dumbledore didn't like him anyways, why should he toe the line?

"You're leaving out the part where Weasley and Mother Weasley are going to be staying with them. Neither one of them has any respect for Hermione and that is technically her home. She shouldn't have to look forward to verbal and emotional abuse in her own home." Dumbledore gave him an indulgent grin.

"Severus will be there, as will Remus and Sirius. All of them care for Hermione as if she were their own. They wouldn't allow anything to happen to her." Draco narrowed his eyes and he could feel through his magicam bond with the other two that Harry was in agreement with him.

"I'm warning you right now, Headmaster. If she is abused in any way when she gets there, you will be the one to pay the price. My father is still quite influential in the Ministry and he would love nothing more than to remove you from your post if you allow anything to happen to the Dark Lord's granddaughter." Dumbledore didn't move, but his eyes flashed dangerously.

"Don't threaten me, Mr. Malfoy. There are ways to make your life miserable that won't cause harm to you." Hermione slowly stood from her seat and stepped in front of Draco. As much as he hated to feel like he was being protected by the girl he loved, he absolutely adored when she showed her badass, dominant side and told people exactly how it was going to be.

"You will do nothing to Draco or Harry. They haven't broken any rules. Don't threaten to make them suffer without hurting them, or I will threaten to do the same to you. Showing the Wizengamot that false memory doesn't harm you, but still damages your reputation. Tit for tat, Headmaster." Dumbledore bowed his head and nodded slowly.

"The invitation for the Weasleys to spend the holiday at Grimmauld Place was extended over the summer, it would rude to withdraw it now. I will alert not only Severus to the circumstances, but Remus and Sirius as well. They both feel strongly for Hermione and wouldn't want her to feel unsafe." Both Draco and Harry nodded, both feeling a little better about the situation at hand. Hermione looked exasperated with them all, but didn't comment on their conversation. She completely changed the subject.

"What exactly is the plan for the horcrux hunt over the holidays?" Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his hands together as if in preparation of telling the tale.

"Shortly after Boxing Day, I'd like the five of us to go after a horcrux that I believe to be in a cave off the coast. It was a place that Tom visited several times in his childhood and what I've understood of the place, it seems to be the place of his first muggle torture." Hermione spoke before any of them could.

"What if my father can't go or he refuses? Or he's been spelled to where he can't?" Hermione wasn't an innocent when it came to just what her grandfather was capable of. Dumbledore sneered her way.

"If Severus can, we'll have him form a false memory to show we never went. Easy." Draco didn't like his easy statement, but there were other things that he could focus on. Before he could speak, the Headmaster broke into the conversation.

"Tom wouldn't do anything to hurt someone close to Hermione, least of all his own son, unless it was absolutely necessary. The last thing he wants is for his bloodline to turn against him." The three of them nodded. Before they could continue the conversation, a slip of paper flew through the floo and landed on the Headmaster's desk. He picked it up and scanned the contents quickly.

"You earned yourself a detention, Miss Granger. Care to explain?" Hermione smirked at the old man.

"That toad expected people to pass her exam by knowing their text word for word. I told her that if there was only one person who passed their exam like she said, maybe the problem wasn't with the students, but the teacher." Draco was surprised when the Headmaster shook his head but made no further comment.

"If anything changes, I'll make sure you three are notified." Draco nodded and went to his feet, turning to help Hermiome up as well.

The trio left the Headmaster's office, none of them all too thrilled with staying with the Headmaster. They traversed the corridors on their way to the Great Hall, all of them participating in small talk. Not a word was said about Hermione's upcoming detention with the toad since Draco didn't feel like arguing on his last day with his girlfriend.

Once they reached the Great Hall, they took their now customary seats at the Gryffindor table and began to eat their food with gusto. Draco rarely had problems with lack of appetite and it seemed as if Harry was the way. Hermione always seemed to nibble, but never complained that she was hungry so that left Draco to assume that she was getting enough at meal times.

The table was awash with chatter about Hermione putting the toad in her place. Draco could hear the twins softly telling her to refuse a quill if she was offered one. Hermione seemed to blanch for a moment at their words, but thanked them kindly and tried to change the subject.

While Hermione would be serving her detention, the rest of them would be holding their last D.A. meeting before the holidays. Harry decided that in the spirit of exams, he would ask everyone to showcase their talents in defense so he knew for sure that they were ready to move onto more complex spells.

At ten til six, Hermione stood and pressed a kiss to both Draco and Harry's cheeks. Draco smiled when she tried to reassure them.

"I'll be fine, I promise. Make sure you both run a good class without me." Draco spoke just loud enough for Harry and Hermione to hear.

"We'll meet in the Room afterwards." Both of them nodded and Draco watched as Hermione sauntered away confidently.

Draco hoped against hope that all went as well as she believed it would.

-O-

Hermione strolled her way through the corridors on her way to Umbridge's office. She was determined to not let the woman get the upper hand. When she reached the door, Hermione lightly tapped on it, waiting for the professor to call out to her to enter. When she was finally bid to enter, she opened the door quietly and stepped inside.

"Sit, Miss Granger." Hermione raised an eyebrow at her. Umbridge gave her a slight nod.

"Please." Hermione acquiesced and took the seat offered. Once she was settled, Umbridge met her gaze.

"Why do you challenge me so?" Hermione raised her eyebrow this time.

"Your class is a joke. I'm the Dark Lord's granddaughter, his blood flows through my veins. What makes you think that your class would be a challenge for me?" Umbridge folded her hands under her chin.

"We aren't teaching Defense so Dumbledore can't create a child army." Hermione snorted.

"I'm perfect little Hermione Granger and I've got the support of all the Slytherins and Harry Potter. What makes you think Dumbledore will stand a chance at recruiting an army when two-thirds of his Golden Trio is loyal to my grandfather? When we begin recruiting, my grandfather will just be angry because nobody will have a clue about the basics of defense." This was stretching things quite a bit, but she didn't think Umbridge would ever have an audience with Voldemort, therefore her words would be safe. Professor Umbridge began to sputter.

"Well, I was just...I wanted to..." Her half sentences were cut off by the door blowing open and her father looming in the door way.

"Hermione, are you well?" She gave him an exuberant nod. She wanted to emphasize that she had a powerful family so the old toad would allow them to learn defense.

"Yes, Daddy, we were discussing how angry Grandfather would be when his newest recruits weren't even able to cast a disarming jinx." Her father seemed to be confused for a moment, but hid it well.

"Indeed." Professor Umbridge pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I understand your thoughts on the matter, but the Ministry has ordered this course of action." Hermione gave a one-shoulder shrug.

"That's perfectly fine. I'll make sure to tell Grandfather that your loyalty is first to the Ministry so we can alter our plans." Severus held his hand out for her. She grasped it in hers as her father spoke.

"I warned you, Madam Umbridge, that you were never to oversee detentions involving my daughter. Minerva or myself will oversee them." She waved a hand at him dismissively.

"It wasn't a true detention, Severus. I wanted to question your daughter why she was so verbose during my class and she had a good reason. This doesn't warrant a punishment as it was an oversight on my part." Severus narrowed his eyes as he continued to stare at her.

"If you wish to assign my daughter detention or speak with her privately, it will go through me and I will be present. You won't like the consequences if this happens again, Madam Umbridge." The squat toad gave a jerky nod, obviously unnerved by being threatened by the Dark Lord's son.

"Of course, Severus, I apologize." Hermione allowed her father to wrap a protective arm around her shoulders and lead her towards the door. Just before they left, she halted and looked back to Umbridge.

"Remember my words, Professor. Consider your loyalties carefully." The toad gave a resolute nod and they went about their way.

Severus dragged her through the corridors and down into the dungeons so they could make use of his quarters. Once safely ensconced inside she gave him a brilliant smile that he most certainly did not return.

"The plan has been laid. I had to think on my feet, but hopefully we'll be able to learn defense now." Severus crossed his arms over his chest and the expression on his face showed that he wasn't pleased. Hermione sighed and took a seat on the couch.

"You know I didn't want you going there without me. I specifically told you that you weren't to spend a detention alone with her, that you were to come to Minerva or I." Hermione nodded and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry you worried. I didn't mean for that to happen at all. I just knew that I could manipulate her into believing that teaching actual defense would benefit the Dark Lord." Her father pinched the bridge of his nose and narrowed his eyes.

"Why does it matter what she teaches? You are teaching all the little heathens more than they would learn in class." Hermione nodded.

"We are. Her exam was ridiculous. Everyone but me failed it miserably because they couldn't remember the exact wording of the text. How many Death Eater families are going to allow this to slide? I did her a damn favor, she just doesn't realize it yet." Severus growled low in his throat, but Hermione knew that she had won the argument.

"I don't give two fucks about what the Death Eater families say, next time you say nothing to her and retrieve me. It is my job as your father to protect you." She gave a resolute nod once more.

"I will make you aware of the situation if it should happen again, Dad. I didn't mean to disappoint you." His features softened and he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm not disappointed, I just worry about keeping you safe. It's a thousand times worse than normal since I missed so much of your life." Hermione nodded and grinned.

"I'm aware. I like that you care." He pulled her into another rough hug.

"Witch, I'm your father. It would be quite the scandal if I didn't care." She grinned at him and nodded.

The pair shared a pot of tea over the course of an hour, keeping each other abreast on the goings-on of their lives. Hermione appraised him of how she had thought she had done on all of her exams, and he had told her the funnier stories of his exam schedule.

When they finally departed her father's chambers, Hermione began to make her way to the Room of Requirement. She knew that they had promised to meet up there and she was curious as to how their last defense class before holidays went. She paced the corridor in front of Barnabas the Barmy and wasn't surprised to see her two boyfriends debating something quidditch related on the couch before the fire.

-O-

Harry stretched out on the couch next to Draco. He was exhausted, D.A. classes always seemed to tired him out. Tonights class had gone exceptionally well, everyone asking after what had happened to Hermione.

Harry was still unhappy with the fact that she had scored herself a detention with the Umbridge hag. He hadn't been extremely worried about what would happen to her, she was more powerful than anyone else he knew after all. However, this didn't banish the worry completely.

He and Draco were caught up in a conversation about the latest match between the Tornadoes and Puddlemere United. They had just started to discuss the epic catch of the snitch when the door opened and Hermione entered, content look on her face. Both boys sprung to their feet and engulfed her in a hug.

Harry brushed hair back from her face as Draco was asking her about how detention went. She explained how Professor Snape had appeared after her manipulation of the toad. Harry could only hope that it worked since he was exhausted from doing her job. He wasn't about to hold his breath though.

No longer shy, Hermione stripped down to almost nothing on her way to the bed. She seemed just as exhausted as Harry was, but he wasn't surprised. She had studied a hundred times harder than anyone else in the school had and she had taken it upon herself to try to get better education for the student body at large.

Even though her knickers were still in place, Harry grinned as he stripped down to his boxers and joined both Hermione and Draco. He bent down and caught one of her rosy tips in his mouth, suckling hard, pulling a strangled gasp from her luscious lips. He released the pebbled flesh with a wet pop before he moved to kiss her.

He showed her no mercy as he took her mouth with his, tasting every inch of her and reveling in it. Harry was almost out of breath when he released her and glanced at Draco.

"'Mi, I want to watch Draco lick your cunt until you come on his face." Draco instantly looked excited. He didn't wait for Hermione to agree or disagree, the blond simply reached down and shoved her tiny knickers down her hips. Once they had been thrown over his shoulder to land somewhere on the floor, Draco spread her knees apart and stuck them to the bed as he was wont to do.

Harry couldn't stop his cock from hardening as he watched Draco bury his face in their own personal slice of heaven. Hermione gripped his blond hair in her fists and tugged as she saw fit. Draco didn't seem to mind the handfuls of hair that she was pulling. If anything it made him more intent on bringing her to completion.

The whimpers and moans escaping her mouth were enough to make Harry come in his boxers. It took great restraint to not leave a stain in his shorts. The Gryffindor had to admit that Draco was good with his tongue. Not even five minutes had passed when Hermione exploded on his tongue, soaking Draco's face with her copious amount of liquid desire.

Harry watched as Draco spread her lips apart and licked her clean, sucking every last drop of fluid she was willing to offer. When he released her knees from the bed, Harry had to chuckle when he realized that she was almost asleep.

Harry bent and kissed her, bringing her out of her stupor. When he released her mouth, he grinned down at her.

"Watching him lick you to orgasm is one of the hottest things I've ever seen." Draco chuckled from her other side.

"Next time I get to watch." Harry chuckled and threw the duvet over their bodies. After pressing a quick kiss to Hermione's temple, he shuffled closer so he could wrap a possessive arm around her waist. Draco was already snoring and Hermione was all but. Harry grinned to himself.

Who knew that life would lead him to this?

-O-

Albus was surprised when the castle pressed on his magic to show him that there was someone waiting outside the griffin to speak with him. He lifted the password ward and allowed entrance to whoever was waiting. Several moments passed and Ron Weasley let himself into his office.

"Mr. Weasley, what can I help you with tonight? Everything is fine?" Ron took the seat that Albus pointed at and heaved a sigh.

"I noticed that Crabbe called Hermione My Lady a few days ago and I decided to keep an eye on her in case she was trying to turn Harry to the dark side. Well, I followed her to Professor Umbridge's office tonight, she had gotten detention for telling the professor that she was why everyone failed their exams. I heard them talking, I used extendable ears, and she kept referring to her Grandfather. I didn't get to hear the whole conversation since Professor Snape showed up, but there's something fishy going on with Hermione. I didn't know who else to come to." Albus cursed inwardly, irritated beyond measure that the Weasley boy couldn't just mind his own business. Instead of berating him, Albus gave him a grandfatherly smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, I'll be sure to keep an extra close eye on Miss Granger and the company she keeps." A smile broke out on the young boy's face.

"That's all I needed, Professor, thank you." Albus stood and made a snap decision. As the Weasley boy turned to head towards the door, the Headmaster slid his wand into his hand and pointed it at Ron Weasley's head.

The obliviate left his mouth as a whisper and he was careful to remove any memory of Crabbe or spying on his ex-friend, also coming to Albus with the information he had discovered. When he lowered his wand, there was a vacant look on the redhead's face. Albus made sure to play his part.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley, I'll see what I can do in regards to your complaints about Madam Umbridge's teaching skills." Ron looked confused but nodded as he scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks, Professor."

The redhead left without further ado and Albus settled back into the chair behind his desk. This year hadn't gone as he had planned. A mere student had broken through his shields and discovered every dirty secret he had ever held. Said student had demanded that he right most of the wrongs and then step down as Headmaster. While the thought of losing his position at the head of the school angered him, he was grateful that she wasn't going to expose his secrets as long as he complied. He would still be able to come out on top, Voldemort would be dead, and then maybe hand the school over to Minerva after citing exhaustion from the war.

As much as he hated to support someone that was blackmailing him, he knew that he had no other choice but to support Hermione and their current plan. Maybe if he proved to her how sorry he was about the things he had done, she would relent and let him keep his position. Sirius would have his name cleared in the morning, that should show her that he was willing to make amends.

Yes, he would do his best to play on her feelings of forgiveness and see if she would relent. It was the best he had.

A/N- Not quite as long as usual, but a decent sized chapter nonetheless. I hope you all enjoyed it, nothing too major like I said, but they can't all be thrillers. Leave me your thoughts, they're like chocolate and whiskey shots.

Next up, the return to Grimmauld Place and the Order discovers the truth about Hermione's paternity.

Love,

Alicia


	22. Chapter 22

A/N- I love the support y'all are showing my story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Not sure how long this story is going to be, but it will definitely be an interesting one. One more thing before we begin...I got a PM from someone complaining that I haven't been doing as many point of views from Harry and Draco. The summary is about Hermione and her struggle with the prophecy. Most of the story will be from her point of view. If you get point of view from anyone else, consider yourself lucky. Read on, friends.

*** I seriously just got the best news ever. Apparently, I've been nominated for the 2018 Hermione's Haven Awards under the category Best Epic. This has never happened to me so I'm pretty excited.

I would appreciate it if y'all would go vote for me, it would really mean a lot. The link to go vote is /forms/jyNlPN49YsrG77Yjz

If that doesn't work, go to Hermione's Haven (18+ Only) on Facebook and follow the link from there.

To the readers that voted for me enough to get me through the semi-finals, you're the bomb! Thanks again...

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K.R. and the plot line has been done before I'm sure. Rent-to-own contracts go up on Draco, sign my ass up!

Chapter 22

December 17, 1995

Hermione couldn't help it. She was excited to be going home to Grimmauld Place even though she wouldn't see Draco for ten long days. She had missed both Remus and Sirius terribly. The Gryffindor was picking at her breakfast, both boys doing the same next to her.

Hermione knew that Draco was nervous about leaving her to go to Grimmauld Place with Ron and Molly. While she wasn't at all pleased with the situation, she knew that both would be forced to leave her alone when Sirius and Remus heard of their past history, let alone Severus.

Hermione also never thought that Harry would admit it, but he was going to miss having Draco around as well. Somehow, in a matter of three months or so, Harry had managed to leave Ron behind as a friend and move on to Draco. While Draco acted aloof to the whole situation, she knew that Harry was his best friend with the exception of perhaps Theo.

Draco couldn't keep his hands off of her and she found that she appreciated the reassurance that her mate would miss her. In return, she didn't remove her hand from his thigh underneath the table for the entirety of the meal. Breakfast was almost through when the post owl swooped down through the Great Hall and one carried a Daily Prophet straight to Hermione. After slipping a knut in the purse bag around the bird's leg, she opened the newspaper to one of the best headlines ever.

Sirius Black Exonerated! Albus Dumbledore

Tells All!

By: Rita Skeeter

Sirius Black, well known for handing James and Lily Potter's whereabouts to Lord Voldemort, killing twelve muggles, murdering his best friend Peter Pettigrew, and escaping Azkaban, has been exonerated.

Albus Dumbledore contacted the Ministry, stating that he suspected that he had been hit with a form of the obliviate spell, shadowing his version of the events. He claims that James Potter contacted him at the time that the fidelius spell was performed, informing him that the secret keeper had been changed from Black to Peter Pettigrew to throw the scent off of Black.

Dumbledore claimed that Pettigrew had made himself known to Harry Potter, told him the harsh truth of just how his parents met their end, and disappeared into the night. These events are what triggered Headmaster Dumbledore to begin searching through his mind for signs of a spell, signs of anything that would point to Potter's words being the truth.

"It took a very long time of centering myself and focusing on the events. I'm still not certain who cast the spell, but I've now retrieved my memory of the events and I can't bear for Sirius to suffer without reason." Albus Dumbledore was quoted after leaving the Ministry, speaking with Amelia Bones about the actions the D.M.L.E. would take in regards to the new information.

Amelia Bones was later quoted, "The Ministry of Magic is offering a full pardon to Sirius Orion Black. It is with our deepest regret that we offer him the sum of 500,000 galleons for the time served in Azkaban that was completely unnecessary. The Ministry humbly apologizes for any wrongs done to Mr. Black and hope that we may someday regain a positive standing in his eyes."

This reporter can only wonder just what is true. Is Black really innocent? Was Dumbledore bribed into lying for the convict? If Black is truly innocent, it's hard to believe that someone was able to curse the Headmaster. Has he been lying this whole time? Questions that I have no answer to, dear readers, but questions I endeavor to investigate.

Hermione threw down the paper in anger. She had told Dumbledore that she didn't care how he managed to get Sirius' name cleared, but she wanted him free to walk the streets. However, this being said, she had expected him to make the story believable. Nobody was going to believe that Dumbledore had been obliviated, especially with Skeeter casting doubts already.

Hermione could only shrug. According to the Prophet, Sirius had already been exonerated. They couldn't take that back even if they did discover that Dumbledore was lying. She supposed that she shouldn't worry so much about the how it happened, but the end result.

Hermione was so deep in thought she didn't even realize that Harry and Draco had read the article after she had slammed it down on the table. Harry flung his arms around her and kissed the top of her head before pulling away to grin at her.

"I can't believe you did it, 'Mi, he's free! I can live with him now!" Hermione smiled at her boyfriend, happy that he was so thrilled. Draco smirked Harry's way, but remained silent. She linked hands with him under the table while Harry reread the article.

"I'm going to miss you." Draco rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as he smiled back at her.

"I'll miss you too, just promise you'll be careful and you'll stick around Harry, Severus Remus, and Sirius. The Weasel makes me nervous." She leaned over and gave him a lingering kiss.

"I promise, now stop worrying. I want you to do your best to enjoy your holiday. I hope you like my gift." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sure I'll love it." They were pulled from their conversation when the twins began dancing and cheering at seeing the news in the Prophet. Hermione still couldn't believe that they revered Sirius and Remus so for no other reason than their inclination towards pranks.

Draco was to leave on the Hogwarts' Express to be picked up by his family at King's Cross while Harry and Hermione were to leave almost directly after breakfast with her father to head towards Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore had tried to persuade Severus to bring the Weasleys via apparition as well so as to save Order members the trip, but he had flat out refused. Harry had told her later that he had been surprised he hadn't refused to bring him as well.

The Hall was full of chatter and laughter as the students ate their last meal at the school before leaving for the holidays. Neville came forward to make his farewells, surprising Draco. The clumsy Gryffindor had warmed up to Draco and Theo both during their lessons with the D.A. and had no problems showing that he considered them friends now.

The trio had just stood from their meal when Luna came forward and offered her well wishes for the holidays. Even though she would be attending Christmas holidays at Grimmauld Place on Boxing Day the same as Draco, she still wanted to wish her friends well. The Ravenclaw disappeared with Ginny and Hermione could only assume that it was so they could share a more personal goodbye.

Hermione knew she needed to say goodbye to her brother so she dragged the two boys over to the Slytherin table with her. Both had indulgent looks on their faces and Hermione could see the smirks gracing the faces of the snakes still seated at their table. Theo rose from the table and wrapoed his arms around her in a semi-relaxed hug. While he liked to show affection to her, he was still somewhat shy about doing so in front of a crowd.

"I'm going to miss you, Hermione. I won't have anyone to study with." She grinned as she pulled away so she could straighten his tie.

"I'm going to miss you too, but we both know you don't need to study. You already get good grades." He snorted.

"Yeah, I do now that I'm studying with you." She gave him a stern look, but ended up grinning before she could pull it off.

"You have a good holiday and stay away from your dad as much as you can. I don't want to hear about him hurting you." Theo blushed just a little bit.

"I'll do my best. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She smiled at him one last time.

"Keep Draco company on the Express." Draco huffed behind her.

"Princess, I don't need you to baby me. I can find people to sit with." She shot him a dirty look. Harry intervened.

"Drake, Hermione takes care of people. You heard her telling Theo to stay away from his dad. She bosses people around when she cares about them." Hermione smirked when the blond rolled his eyes. She turned back to her brother.

"We have to go meet Severus. Have a good holiday, Teddy." Her brother raised an eyebrow.

"Teddy?" She smirked again.

"You need your own special name. I'm going to try that one out for a bit, see if it grows on me." Theo rolled his eyes, but seemed secretly pleased. With one last hug, Hermione turned and led her two boys away from the snake's table.

Draco pulled them into an alcove just outside of the Great Hall. It was already almost ten and she and Harry were due to leave with Severus from the Entrance Hall at straight up ten. Once the three of them were out of sight, Draco opened his arms and Hermione floated into them.

The Gryffindor reached up and fisted his hair in each one of her hands so she could tug him down to her level. He understood her intent instantly and captured her lips with his. He didn't ask for admittance, simply thrust his tongue into her mouth and took what he wanted.

His tongue stroked hers expertly and Hermione couldn't hold back the whimper that his ministrations brought forth. She was unsure how long the kiss lasted, but when he gentled the kiss and pulled back, Hermione was lightheaded. Draco brushed one of her curls back behind her ear.

"I'll see you in ten days time, Princess." She laid her hand on his chest.

"Ten days and not an hour longer." He brushed the back of his knuckles along her cheek before stepping away. Hermione watched as he turned to Harry and clapped him on the back.

"Keep her safe, Potter." Harry chuckled before he pulled Draco in for a quick man-hug.

"You can count on it."

Without a backward glance, Draco strode out of the alcove and disappeared down the corridor that led to the Slytherin dorms. Harry reached out and took her hand so he could lead her up to the Gryffindor common room, somewhere they hadn't been in quite awhile.

The corridors were full of chattering students, all of them excited that they were heading home. The Fat Lady seemed surprised to see them and even more surprised when they actually knew the password to enter.

They separated in the common room, everyone staring at the fact that they were actually in residence. Hermione climbed the stairs that led to her dorm, Lavender and Parvati both going silent when she appeared. She didn't let their stares bother her. She quickly gathered her things and loaded them in her trunk. Hermione was done in five minutes time and shrank her trunk so it would fit in her pocket. She had almost made it out of the dorm when Parvati spoke.

"Don't even bother coming back here, Granger. It's much better with you gone." She turned and smiled at the pair.

"In case you didn't notice, I havent been here for quite awhile. Why would I come back here to spend time with you two?" She didn't wait for either of them to answer, just continued back down the stairs to find Harry chatting quietly with Dean and Seamus.

When he saw that she had emerged from her dorm, Harry broke away from the other two boys so he could wrap an arm around her waist and lead her back out of the common room. They made their way through the corridors and staircases until they made it to the Entrance Hall where Severus was waiting impatiently for them.

"You two try my patience." Hermione frowned. They were almost five minutes early.

"We're sorry, Professor. We thought we were on time." He didn't say anything, just motioned for them to follow him.

They traversed the grounds, making their way towards the front gates. Hermione was perplexed by her father's behavior. They hadn't done anything wrong and he usually saved that level of irritability for the Gryffindors in Potions class. It was in that moment that she realized why he was irritated.

Sirius Black.

Not because the man had had his name cleared, but because he was going to spend his holidays with the man he hated most in the world. While Hermione didn't want to get in the middle of whatever their problems were, she also didn't want Sirius to torment her father for the whole of their holiday break.

They reached the front gates at the same time that Hermione vowed to stay out of her father's affairs with Sirius. She wouldn't act like she knew anything of their troubles unless it was absolutely necessary. Severus grabbed hold of Harry just above his elbow and held out his hand to Hermione. She took it happily and took a deep breath as her father apparated.

The three of them landed just inside the front door of Grimmauld Place. Hermione instantly felt like she was going to be sick. Harry seemed to be coping better than she was. She hunched over slightly and before she could empty her stomach, Severus thrust a vial into her hand.

Without a second thought, she tipped it into her mouth and instantly felt better. Hermione gave her father a smile and a nod, thanking him silently with her eyes. Nobody had a chance to speak again before two other Gryffindors appeared, wands at the ready. Sirius rushed forward and pulled Harry into a bear hug while Remus came forward and gave her a puzzled look.

"Mina?" She grinned and nodded and without another word, Remus opened his arms. She rushed into them and threw her arms around his neck.

"Remus!" He held her tight for several seconds before relinquishing her to Sirius, who was waiting impatiently at the werewolf's side.

"Poppet!" Where Remus' hug had been sedate and controlled, Sirius' was exuberant. He swung her into his arms and twirled her around in a circle, finally setting her down after three spins. She couldn't help but to giggle at the sheer childlike glee on his face.

"Did you hear, Poppet? Dumbledore got me off with the Ministry!" She wanted to puke on his shoes because he was giving all the credit to Dumbledore, but she plastered a smile on her face.

"It's wonderful news. Now you can be a proper guardian for Harry." Sirius whooped as if he hadn't considered that thought.

"Harry, you can move in here with Remus Hermione, and I. It'll be great." Hermione stepped closer to her father and let Sirius and Harry have their moment. Remus was studying her carefully and Hermione had a feeling that her secret wouldn't be a secret for much longer.

The five of them made their way through the gloomy house until they reached the kitchen. Remus began making tea while Harry and Sirius chatted happily. Hermione took the seat on the opposite side of Severus and noticed that he was very stiff. As if sensing that her thoughts were on her father, Sirius spoke.

"Why are you spending the holiday here with us, Snivellous? Don't you have dungeons to haunt?" Hermione stiffened next to her father. His voice drawled perfectly which irritated Sirius to no end.

"I have no urge to spend the holidays with you, Black. I'm here because the illustrious Headmaster has decided that I am to spend the holidays here." Sirius snorted.

"That would be because you don't have anyone to spend the holidays with. That's why he forced your presence on us." Hermione reached over and clenched her father's hand under the table. She felt him relax a tiny bit so she took the opening.

"Sirius, Professor Snape has done so much for us this year, please don't be mean to him." Sirius snorted, but obviously didn't want to disappoint her.

"That's why we love you, Poppet, you see the best in everyone even when it isn't deserved." Severus remained silent and thankfully Sirius turned back to Remus and Harry.

Kreacher appeared after their third cup of tea and began making them lunch. Hermione knew that they needed to broach the subject of Ron, neither Harry not Severus would rest until it had been. Even though she knew her father hated Sirius with his entire being, he would want more people looking after her than just himself since there would be occasions that he would have to leave.

They took lunch in the library, her father reading quietly while the rest of them caught up. It was when they had finished everything but their tea that Remus addressed the elephant in the room.

"Why do you look so different, Mina?" She sighed and raked a hand through her ebony curls. She decided that she was only going to tell them what they needed to know.

"I was attacked at school and my magic took over and defended me. When I woke up, this was how I looked. The Headmaster said it was a glamour placed on me when I was just a baby." This brought a screeching halt to the conversation in the room. Sirius broke the silence.

"Who hurt you, Poppet?" She glanced down at her hands in her lap and started slightly when Harry reached out and took one of her hands in his. He answered for her and she was most grateful.

"Ron beat her up real bad and tried to rape her when she wouldn't date him. Her magic attacked him and Draco found her and took her to the Hospital Wing. He sent Ginny after me and I went and found Ron and showed him what happens when someone hurts my girl." Sirius grinned despite the content of the conversation.

"You two are an item now?" Hermione hadn't planned on making this much public so soon, but there was nothing for it now.

"Yes, Harry and I are in a relationship. However, Draco Malfoy is in it with us. We're a triad." There was no laughter or joking around now. Hermione watched Severus shift his gaze between the other two men, probably making sure that they weren't going to cause any problems. When Remus spoke, he was hesitant.

"Are you sure that's wise, Hermione? His father is well-known Death Eater, he's been groomed since birth to serve Voldemort." Hermione's eyes grew cold and she met the gaze of her ex-professor.

"I could say the same thing about Sirius. He had been groomed to served Voldemort since birth, he was taught that blood purity is life. He was pressured by his family to follow tradition. He did none of the above. Let me remind you that Draco has Black blood in his veins just the same as Harry and Sirius." Remus held his hands up in surrender, backing off from the situation completely. Harry spoke now.

"We trust Draco with our life. He would never sell us out. To prove it to you, he's coming to spend the rest of the holidays here on Boxing Day. Dumbledore has already agreed it's a wonderful idea." Remus turned to Harry now.

"Dumbledore approves because he wants you to have triad magic behind you when you face Voldemort." Harry's gaze turned frosty now.

"No, Dumbledore knows that he would lose both Hermione and I if he didn't give Draco a chance. Trust me, he doesn't like him anymore than you do." Remus shook his head.

"It's not that I don't like him, I actually found him to be a very talented wizard, I'm just worried that you will both end up hurt." Hermione could feel anger rising up in her and she noticed that Severus was now leaned back in his chair with a smirk on his face. Sirius seemed to realize that both teens were about to turn on the werewolf and it would get ugly.

"Don't mind Moony, he's just being overprotective because he considers you both pack. Instincts and such. I think you giving my cousin a chance like Moony and Prongs gave me is great." Remus seemed to realize that he had just averted disaster.

"Are the Weasleys still coming here after what Ron did to you? How was he not expelled?" Hermione knew her gaze turned dark.

"Yes, the Headmaster said that since they had been invited here over summer, it would be rude to rescind the invitation. He wasn't expelled because of some ancient law about pureblood on muggleborn crimes ending in no punishment or some such rot. Antiquated fucking notion if you ask me." While both men looked surprised at her language, they were smart enough to realize that it would be folly to bring it up. Sirius broke the silence.

"I can't believe that the Headmaster is still letting him come here. This is my house, I'll tell them they aren't welcome. This is your home." Hermione shook her head.

"Please don't. The whole family knows what he's done and everyone but Molly has taken my side. She sent me a howler telling me that I had asked for what I'd gotten." Both men looked mutinous, but remained silent.

Harry quickly changed the subject back to what Sirius' plans were now that he was free to do as he pleased. Hermione leaned against Harry, paying attention as best she could. She had just started to drift off to sleep against Harry's shoulder when the popping sounds of apparition were heard.

The Weasleys had arrived.

Everyone bustled past the library and Hermione could hear Molly yelling at everyone to take their old rooms. At this point, Sirius stood and went to the door to interrupt.

"Actually, Ron will have to find another room. Harry lives here now so he's entitled to his own room the same as Hermione. It's my house and I won't begrudge them their privacy." Hermione wasn't sure exactly what Molly had said, but she had quieted. When Sirius took his seat before the fire again, Harry grinned his way.

"Thanks, Sirius. It would have gotten bad if he was to share a room with Draco and I." Sirius smirked his way.

"You two are truly happy with him?" Harry began toying with one of her curls, pulling it down so he could watch it spring back up.

"Yeah, I mean he's still a snarky, sarcastic prat, but he's our snarky, sarcastic prat. He isn't too bad. Even Neville likes him now." Hermione nodded her agreement.

"I've had a crush on him since second year. It was very confusing since I was in love with Harry too. They brought the idea of a triad to my attention and I haven't regretted a second." The older Gryffindor smiled softly.

"I'm happy for you, Poppet. Keep 'em both in line, boys can get jealous." Hermione wanted to snort and assure him that that most certainly didn't happen, that they loved to watch each other with her, but she simply nodded.

"Thank you, Sirius."

There was no more quiet conversation once the Weasley twins joined them in the library, eager to make conversation with the two Marauders. Hermione was surprised that Severus remained quiet and didn't complain that they were getting loud and rowdy. She flashed him a smile when he made eye contact with her. Sirius noticed the interaction, however, and made snide a comment.

"Sorry you aren't part of their triad, Snivellous? I always knew you were sick." Hermione could tell that Severus wasn't remaining silent any longer.

"Let me remind you, dog, that it was you who led me into the Shrieking Shack when we were sixteen so Lupin would murder me in his werewolf form. You were the definition of sick. I look at my student and that makes me sick because I'm lusting after her? Do you even know how stupid you sound?" Sirius stood and pulled his wand, menacing look on his face.

"Hermione is living in my home, it's my job to protect her from scum like you." Severus stood as well, wand sliding out of his sleeve and into his hand. The rest of the Weasleys were now gathered just inside the door to the library, watching with trepidation in their eyes. Hermione stood as well and tried to intervene.

"Sirius, Professor Snape has never been inappropriate with me, I admire him. Please don't say such things about him." Sirius never looked at her, but his words were directed her way.

"Poppet, you don't know what this man is capable of. I love that you see everyone's good qualities, but you have to be a realist too. The reality of the matter is that he's just bad blood, he'll never be more than a filthy Death Eater." Hermiome couldn't take it any longer. They would just continue to tear each other down and it was only the first day.

"Stop it, both of you! It's the first day of holidays and you're already ruining it. You both need to grow the fuck up in regards to each other. You don't have to like each, but for Merlin's sake, can we try for civility?" Molly finally stepped forward, hands planted firmly on her hips, spatula sticking out of her hand.

"Listen here, young lady, you don't get to scream at adults and demand your way because you don't like them handling their business. Sit down and be quiet." Severus turned his obsidian eyes to the frumpy redhead facing down his daughter.

"Do not speak to her as if you have a right to. I warned you what would happen if I heard you speak to Hermione like that again." Now Remus stood and stepped forward, hands out but wand still sheathed.

"Since when do you call her Hermione? I didn't want to believe Sirius' accusations, but you aren't helping your case, Severus." Severus gaze darkened again, his frown etching deeply into his features. Finally, Hermione could take it no longer.

Her magic exploded from her even though her wand was still slid up her sleeve. Everyone aside from Harry flew backwards and landed on their arses. Harry instantly stood and went behind her, his hands rubbing up and down her arms reassuringly. He didn't say anything, but just his presence calmed her slightly. When Hermione finally spoke, her voice was hard and cold.

"Professor Snape has not done anything to me, nor will he ever. He's my father. I was kidnapped from his care when I was an infant, had glamours placed on me, and given to muggles. The next person to accuse him of being indecent with me is going to suffer more than being knocked on their arse." Hermione could feel herself detaching from the situation. When Remus spoke, it was with awe.

"How did you do that Hermione, with no wand to boot?" Sirius broke in.

"Fuck, what she did? She can't belong to Snivellous. Somebody has lied to her and she's believed it." Hermione eyed both men and kept an eye on everyone else out of the corner. The twins and Ginny were still on their arses, shocked looks on their faces. Ron and Molly looked disgusted. She wasn't sure what Arthur, Bill, and Charlie's reactions would have been if they had been there.

"Oh, I was lied to, but not about my paternity. I am the missing child of Alexandra Nott, I'm sure you remember the scandal my disappearance created. Severus is most assuredly my father, confirmed through a paternity potion. As for the magic, according to prophecy, nobody has seen my power in well over a century. Heed my warning. One more accusation with no evidence against my father will see us all at odds." Harry was now kneading her shoulders. Molly stepped forward, finally pulling herself up off the floor.

"You will do no such thing, Hermione. You're going to go up to your room without supper and you'll adjust your attitude before you present yourself in the morning." Hermione blew her back on her arse as she turned to face her.

"You do not order me around, Molly Weasley. The Dark Lord doesn't get to order me around, what the fuck makes you think you're special? You keep yourself and your useless son away from me." Sirius took a cautious step forward. Severus raised his eyebrow at the animagus.

"I wouldn't, Black. I've seen her almost kill Thoros Nott and Thorfinn Rowle with only a thought." Sirius stopped and met her eyes. As angry as he had made her, she could only see worry reflecting back in his gaze.

"Poppet, please tell us what's going on. Nobody seems to know what's going on except you and Snape." Her eyes softened a tiny bit.

"Harry knows everything, so does Draco and Dumbledore. The truth that you need to know is that I am Severus' daughter and Voldemort's granddaughter. There was a prophecy made about me decades ago, me and my two mates, who happen to be Harry and Draco. Dumbledore stole me from my mother and placed me with muggles. He's lied to everyone about many things, but the most important one to you, Sirius, is that he knew you were innocent and he still let you rot in Azkaban. If I hadn't threatened him, he would never have cleared your name." Sirius stood there, dazed look on his face, while Remus began to sputter.

"That, that isn't possible! He would never..." Hermione crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"You can smell lies, Remus. Tell them all, am I lying to you right now?" Hermione knew she should stop, she shouldn't be saying these things to people that could leak the information, but it was liberating. She was so tired of keeping secrets. The room waited in bated silence until Remus shook his head.

"No, you aren't lying." The Weasleys gasped, almost as one, and she was sure that she had just lost the support of the twins and Ginny. Therefore, she felt no qualms about issuing a warning.

"Consider this your warning. If any of you harm Harry or Draco, Severus wasn't kidding when he said I almost killed Nott and Rowle. Nott cursed Draco and Rowle threatened Harry." Sirius gave her a worried look.

"What about Harry? Voldemort still wants him dead." She shook her head.

"No, in exchange for me supporting him, he's sworn to leave Harry alone. All three of us have already been before the Dark Lord. Dumbledore approves of this ruse, it was his idea." Remus shook his head.

"The old man is off his rocker. What the fuck is he thinking?" The rest of the room was silent until Ginny stood and stepped forward. She threw her arms around Hermione and held her in a close hug.

"I don't care who you're related to, 'Mi. You're still one of my best friends." This prompted the twins to join in and make inappropriate jokes about her relation to the no-nosed lord. She appreciated it, their laughter broke the tension. When the Weasleys relinquished their hold on her, Sirius and Remus both stepped forward. Sirius seemed truly regretful.

"I'm sorry, Poppet. I don't want to make this any harder for you. I look forward to meeting my cousin." Remus nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Mina." Both men hugged her close for several seconds before releasing her. To her complete and utter surprise, Sirius turned to Severus and stuck out his hand.

"My apologies, Severus. I won't cause any problems with you, even though I'll never like you. Hermione doesn't deserve to be around us fighting constantly." Severus stared at the offered hand for a long time before he reached out and took it, shaking it firmly. They had just broke apart when Ron broke the silence.

"Are we really going to ignore the fact that she is Voldemort's spawn?" Harry stepped forward and spoke for the first time in awhile.

"Yes, you are, because Hermione is the same person she was before. Now she's just working undercover to bring down her grandfather. She's always protected those she cared about, now it's just with consequences." Sirius spoke again.

"We have no reason to mistrust Hermione so things will continue as they always have. This is my house so if you don't like being here with her, feel free to go home. That goes for anyone who feels that way." The animagus glared knowingly at Molly and both Weasleys remained silent.

Ron stalked out of the library and Molly headed back to the kitchen. The rest of them all settled around the library and continued their conversations from before. Instead of taking the arm chair he had been in before, Severus settled on the couch next to her. She didn't think that he would appreciate any affection, but she would have been wrong.

Severus lifted his arm, inviting her to snuggle into his side. The room was chilly, despite the blazing fire in the hearth, and she settled against his warmth. Hermione laid her head on his chest and she felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. The Gryffindor could feel the stares from everyone else around the room and shrugged them off.

The conversation picked back up when they realized that Hermione wasn't going to move. She dropped off to sleep against her father to the sounds of laughter in a very dark and gloomy house.

-O-

Draco dreaded speaking with his father. He hadn't said a word to him at King's Cross, had merely reached out and grasped his arm, apparating them straight into the library at Malfoy Manor. He hadn't said a word to anyone, but the Slytherin dreaded being in residence with the Dark Lord.

Lucius gestured for Draco to take one of the chairs by the fire while he took the one opposite of him. For the first time ever, Lucius summoned two glasses and a decanter of firewhiskey. He watched with trepidation as his father poured him three fingers of whiskey and handed him the glass.

"How are your grades this term, Draco?" He sipped his whiskey and fought the strong urge to cough. His father smirked knowingly at him.

"My grades are very good. Hermione is a very good study partner. I failed my Defense exam." Lucius raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Why did you fail your exam?" Draco couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his mouth.

"Everyone failed it except Hermione. Umbridge expected us to memorize the text. We haven't used our wands a single time since the beginning of term." To his surprise, Lucius didn't say anything further about his Defense exam.

"How long have you wanted Miss Granger?" Draco didn't see any reason to lie.

"Since second year." Lucius nodded and took a drink of his whiskey. Draco was unsure of where the conversation was leading, but decided he should probably play it safe. Several minutes passed and Draco had drank half his whiskey when his father spoke again.

"Do you think she's truthful in her support of the Dark Lord?" Draco narrowed his eyes at his father.

"Just where are you taking this conversation, Father? You know if you take doubts to the Dark Lord in regards to his heir, he'll likely kill you." Lucius raked his hand through his hair, an extremely rare show of emotion. When his father spoke, his voice was almost shaky.

"I've made mistakes in my life, I should have been a better father. I regret that. This is me trying to support you in the way that a father should." He sighed and continued.

"It's quite clear that she loves you and if you've wanted her since second year, you probably love her as well. She talks a good game, but I just don't buy that she's going to turn her back on the rest of the world. I want you to know that I will follow you and your mates. I won't lie and say it's for the good of the wizarding world because it's not. I don't regret the lives I've taken or the girls I've raped. This being said, those things also aren't important enough to me to lose my son if he follows the most powerful witch since the founders. Malfoys hold family above all else and if you love her and see yourself with her after this is over, that makes her family. When the times comes, and it most assuredly will, the Malfoy family will follow you, son."

Draco was shocked ailent. Never is a million years did he think his father would ever turn his back on the Dark Lord, Draco had grown up hearing stories of how wonderful the Dark Lord was. For him to turn his back on all that was momentous. Suddenly, something occured to him.

"You'd just accept Hermione? She's a half-blood, after all. Our blood line would never be pure again." Lucius smirked at his son.

"I would treat your wife as the queen she is. While I abhor losing our Sacred 28 status, I welcome with open arms the power that would come with such a union. We would still be tied to the Dark Lord through Miss Granger and Severus and would also gain the connection to Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world. Your children have been foretold through prophecy that they will thrust greatness into our world. Your mate is a smarter move for the continuation of the Malfoy line." Draco nodded slowly and waited a few moments before speaking.

"I'll keep your words in mind if we take that route." He didn't dare say more. While he didn't believe that his father would endanger his life in any way, he still didn't trust him with Hermione or Harry's. As if realizing that the conversation was over, Lucius finished off his whiskey indicating for Draco to do the same.

"Go find your mother and entertain her with stories from school. She misses you when you're gone. The Dark Lord isn't in residence at the moment. I will send word when he returns. Stay as far away from him as you can unless he demands your presence." Draco threw back his whiskey and nodded his understanding. He set the glass next to the armchair he had been seated in and strode out of the library without a backwards glance in search for his mother.

It seems as if he had a lot to consider.

A/N- Alright y'all, I've been having a few problems with getting reviews and responding to them again. If you didn't get a response to your review, I apologize. I hope the chapter lived up to your expectations! Thanks again for reading. Leave me a message after the beep.

Next chapter, Dumbledore's reaction to having their mission outed to the Order and Severus is summoned to participate in something that will make the Dark Lord very happy.

Love,

Alicia


	23. Chapter 23

A/N- Y'alls support is overwhelming. Thank you to everyone out there reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting this labor of love. To everyone that has went and voted for this story in the Hermione's Haven 2018 Awards, you're the bomb. I will find out the 28th if I have won or not. If you want to vote, please follow the link from the previous chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I don't own the concept of triads. I don't own the Hermione being relation to Voldemort trope. I own my own personal twist, I suppose, but I'm sure it's been done before.

Chapter 23

December 25, 1995

Hermione was tired. She had decided, along with Harry, that they would attempt to sleep in their own rooms for the duration of their holidays for nothing more than to keep the peace in the household. While she didn't see Sirius complaining overly much that his godson was sleeping with a girl, she didn't want to upset Remus.

Severus already knew that they shared a bed in the Room of Requirement every night when they were at the castle, but the werewolf didn't. Sirius hadn't been joking when he had told the two teens that Moony could be overprotective, especially since he considered them both to be pack. This being said, it wasn't even the main reason that they had agreed to sleep seperately.

That reason was Molly Weasley.

The Weasley matriarch had been downright pleasant to Harry, had coddled him the same degree as she did her own sons, but had been downright vicious to Hermione, when nobody was around to hear her of course. As much as she knew that what Ronald had done to her wasn't her fault, it didn't make it any easier to hear that opinion from someone who had once treated her as one of her own.

Hermione had far too much pride to run to her father, Sirius, or Remus, asking them for help with Molly. Therefore, she confided in Harry alone and endured the catty comments by doing her best to ignore them. This didn't help the situation, but it did give her a sense of satisfaction when Molly would huff angrily and stalk off because she didn't think her words had gotten a reaction.

Ron wasn't much better.

Nobody in the household dared to leave him alone with Hermione, the elder Weasleys jumping on board with Severus, Sirius and Remus, but that didn't stop his snide remarks. Twice now, her father had threatened death and dismemberment for hateful comments about her sex life and choice in partners. While Severus didn't really care for Harry, per se, Draco was his godson and he protected him just as diligently as Sirius protected Harry.

Whenever Severus stood and pulled his wand on the redhead, the room would fall silent, but nobody would intervene. Arthur had once said that he had been trying to get his youngest son to see the folly of his actions, but he didn't listen. Therefore, he assumed his son would have to learn the hard way.

Severus had been summoned to his father's side the day before and Ronald had seen it as open season for tormenting Hermione. Harry had already threatened to beat him up for making assumptions about her supposedly loose morals when Sirius had entered the library unseen and watched the scene play out.

Just as Ronald had stepped forward to actually fight Harry, Sirius stepped out of the shadows and drew his wand on the redhead, threatening to show him just why the Blacks were considered insane because he had threatened Harry and defamed Hermione's character. When Hermione had moved between the two, gently pushing Sirius back away from Ron, she could almost see a glint of that infamous insanity reflecting in his eyes.

Needless to say, Hermione hadn't been sleeping so well when she had to do so solo. She didn't know how she had become accustomed to sleeping with Harry and Draco so quickly, but the fact remained that she had. Harry didn't report that he was sleeping much better.

To distract themselves from their lack of sleep, the pair had dived into their holiday homework with gusto. Well, maybe she had done so with gusto, but Harry had followed her lead. Even though he was doing much better academically, he still wasn't excited about learning new things like Hermione and Draco were.

To her ultimate surprise, so far nobody had thrown her paternity in her face. She truly expected it of Ron, even Molly, but both had been uncharacteristically quiet on the matter. After the conversation she had had with Dumbledore the day following her revelation, she almost wondered if the two hadn't been obliviated.

*Flashback*

Hermione and Harry were seated in the library with Sirius and Remus. Severus had claimed to have a headache, charged Remus with keeping an eye on the pair, and retired to his rooms. Hermione had been aware that her father had been battling a headache since he had arrived, but she had been surprised that he was still suffering. She had worryingly asked him if he was going to be alright before he had smoothed her curls and assured her that it was largely stress induced.

Harry had been playing Remus in a game of wizard's chess where Sirius was trying to coach him. Hermione had her head in his lap and was reading a book about the faeries of old. The door to the library swung open and even though nobody noticed at first, the raw magical power that permeared the air was palpable. The voice of Albus Dumbledore broke through her reading and the boy's good-natured ribbing.

"I need to speak with Miss Granger alone." Harry's face hardened and the act wasn't lost on the remaining two Marauders. Both Sirius and Remus stood and moved in front of Harry and Hermione, arms crossed and expressions grim.

"We're not going anywhere. We're both sick of everyone taking shots at Hermione and that means you as well." Hermione rose to her feet and laid a soft hand on both Marauders' arm.

"Trust me, I'm more than capable of fighting my battles with the Headmaster." While both men faded back behind her, neither one disappeared as requested. Hermione appreciated the support.

"They aren't leaving, Headmaster, please feel free to express your displeasure with me in their company. I won't suffer unduly from embarrassment, I assure you." Dumbledore (for she no longer afforded him the title Professor in her mind) glared at her, but let the stress disappear from the set of his shoulders.

"How am I to trust you, Miss Granger, when you say none of the information in our meetings will be disseminated? Both Molly and Ronald have posted letters to me in regards to your parentage and the information you revealed about the prophecy and Sirius." Hermione crossed her arm over her chest as she narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster.

"Since both my parentage and the prophecy relate directly to me, it's my business who I decide to inform as long as I believe the people I tell are trustworthy. I trust everyone here with the exception of Ronald and Molly and I'm sure that you smooth-talked them until they agreed to remain quiet. As for Sirius, he had a right to know that the person he was beginning to worship was nothing but a filthy liar who didn't give two fucks that he suffered for so unbearably long in Azkaban." The Headmaster's eyes blazed in what she believed was hatred.

"We won't have any secrets left if you keep telling everyone, Miss Granger. Your grandfather will eventually hear of your true loyalties if you do not take need of my words." Hermione nodded.

"If I continue to tell people like Ronald and Molly, yes, he surely will. This being said, he won't execute me or mine on rumor alone. He'll search my mind and find nothing but what I want him to see. Need I remind you that not only could you not break through my occlumency barriers, I broke through yours without lifting a wand?" Both Remus and Sirius gasped softly behind her as Harry slid her hand into his. Dumbledore glared at her and when he spoke, his voice was cold.

"I obviously can't make you do anything, Miss Granger. I would, however, like to implore to you that your position amongst the Order of the Phoenix is precarious at best since your true position is unknown. Don't lose trust before you ever truly gain it."

Hermione was unsure as to what his words truly meant. She thought for a moment that he was saying that the Order would turn on her if they truly knew her parentage, but she already knew that. The problem with that threat was that she didn't care. Hermione Granger didn't need to Order of the Phoenix to continue to plot against her grandfather.

"I do not care who trusts me and who doesn't. If they do, then it will be clear. If they don't, it will probably be hidden behind false words. You know all about false words, don't you Headmaster?" The older man flinched, but remained silent for several seconds.

"Very well, Miss Granger. I suppose you are now running this show and you have no need for friendly advice." Hermione met his gaze with a cold one of her own.

"I most certainly need advice, but not from those that seek to control me and those I care about." Dumbledore actually snorted before he turned back towards the door.

"I will spell Ronald and Molly to where they are unable to speak of the things you revealed to them. Make sure you're much more circumspect in the future about who you share important information with."

Hermione stood there, Harry just behind her right shoulder, with Remus and Sirius flanking the pair. She could feel the curiosity in the air around her, but she didn't volunteer any more information. Remus finally broke the silence.

"If you broke through his mind barriers, you discovered more secrets than what you told us about Sirius." Hermione gave them a small wry smile.

"Yes, but I won't be sharing them. They'll be righted and that's what matters. Dumbledore had to make himself into a weak wizard to admit that he had been duped by an unknown wizard during the memory spell. Don't worry, I can handle Dumbledore." The three of them gave her a forced smile.

"Of course, 'Mi, we trust you." Even though she believed the words, she didn't like that they were even necessary to be spoken.

Fucking Albus Dumbledore.

*End of Flashback*

Hermione grinned as Harry joined her in her bedroom. She had already dressed for the day and was excited beyond measure to go downstairs and open their presents. While she was melancholy at the fact that her parents wouldn't be there to celebrate with her, she was ecstatic that she was going to be surrounded by her father and closest friends. This holiday would not be a lonely one.

Harry pulled her down the stairs so they could gather in the library. Kreacher had grudgingly set up a Christmas tree for the household, most unhappy that the half-blood scum was asking it of him. While Hermione knew the old elf would never approve of her, she did her best to block out the hateful words that cast aspersions on her person.

Everyone was already gathered in the library, Harry and Hermione were literally the last people of the household to arrive. She had almost felt bad for making everyone wait on them until she saw how peeved Ronald was that he couldn't open his gifts until everyone was present.

Ginny volunteered to pass out all the gifts, acting as a Santa of sorts. It took almost a half an hour to pass out the massive amount of gifts under the tree and Hermione was thrilled. Christmas had always been her all-time favorite holiday of the year and she sincerely enjoyed buying for everyone attending with the exception of Ronald. If there was one person that she didn't want to give false hope to, it was Ronald Weasley.

Without further ado, Ginny announced that they could all open their gifts. Her father didn't look thrilled to be there, but he did look surprised to have quite the pile of presents in front of him. She rather suspected that it had been the most gifts he had received at one time in his life.

Hermione ripped into her gifts excitedly. As much as she loved giving gifts, she also loved receiving them. She had never been greedy, but she did love to discover who found her important enough to give her a small token of their affections.

From Harry, she received a special homework planner that spoke to her when she opened it and an elegant eagle quill. Draco had sent her the ultimate pampering set, bath beads, soaps, lotions, and scents. Her father had gifted her with a first edition of Hogwarts, A History making her squeal in excitement. She had thrown herself into his arms and pressed numerous kisses to his cheeks. Even though his face burned in embarrassment, he seemed to be pleased.

Sirius and Remus had gone in together for a gift for her and bought her a complete set of encyclopedias that detailed every aspect of the wizarding world. They were ridiculously expensive and very rare. Only a handful of families had a set in the country. Therefore, Hermione had no qualms about throwing herself at both of the remaining Marauders, hugging them close in her happiness.

The Gryffindor also received numerous joke items from Fred and George, bottlecap earrings from Luna, rock cakes from Hagrid, a particularly pretty skirt from Ginny, and nothing from the elder Weasleys. Even though she had gifted them with a gift certificate to Madam Malkin's, she didn't feel offended. Arthur looked embarrassed, but Hermione shot him a small smile of understanding. This had been just one more way to shun her by his bloody wife.

Harry and Severus had already blown through their gifts and seemed quite pleased with their haul. They weren't even paying attention to her, meticulously going through their gifts so they could catalogue them. Hermione was distracted from their actions by a large eagle owl flying through one of the open windows.

The owl was magnificent, swooping down with unseen grace so it could alight on her shoulder. Hermione was surprised at first, but when she realized that there was a letter with two small boxes attached, she shouldn't have been surprised. Once she had removed the letters and boxes, the owl playfully nipped at her ear lobe before drifting back into the air and out the window from whence he had come. She decided that the letters would be opened first. The first was from Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

Miss Riddle,

I understand that you probably don't want to hear from us as we have seriously disrespected you in the past. We don't expect your forgiveness, but civility would be nice since our son finds himself in love with you. If you can't find it in your heart to grant us this, we understand and will seek no further connection.

We hope you enjoy our gift. It brought great happiness to generations past.

Wishing you Good Fortune,

Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

Hermione was leery as to what they would consider to be an appropriate gift so she turned to the gift marked with their name quite warily. When she found no hexes or curses upon it, she opened it quickly under the watchful eye of her friends and family.

It was a necklace, a beautiful piece that was encrusted with diamonds and rubies, obviously chosen to appease her Gryffindor sorting. It was stunning, quite beautiful if she did say so herself, but she didn't know if she would ever wear it. Not at school, anyways. She set the gift aside to find a letter from Draco, which meant that the remaining letter was most likely from her grandfather. She leaned over towards Harry so they could read Draco's letter together.

Harry and Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you well. I loved your gift, thank you so much! The World Cup tickets are quite the commodity and I can only imagine how disgusted you were to buy them (Hermione, anyways). I appreciate them all the same.

Life at Malfoy Manor has been quiet and relaxing until yesterday. Your grandfather had been out of the country until yesterday and he seems very anxious. I've kept out of the way and to myself, dividing my time between homework, quidditch, and my parents. I think I'm able to say that Harry will find me more of an opponent come the new year.

There is something brewing, but I've no idea what. I have a few guesses, just things I've gathered from everything being said around me, but nothing concrete. I'll share my thoughts when I see you both in person.

I know it's only tomorrow, but I miss you both terribly. Hermione, you're the star to my skies while Potter is almost that of a brother. I miss our commeraderie and our jokes, but most of all spending time together. I can't wait until tomorrow.

Anyways, that's enough for now since I'll see you in the morning.

Draco

Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder for a few moments after she finished Draco's letter. She missed the blond terribly and she had been counting down the days until he would arrive at Grimmauld Place with Severus. She pulled away with a sigh when she remembered that she needed to read her last letter and open her last gift. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of trepidation when she broke the seal on the letter.

Darling Granddaughter,

I hope this letter finds you well, and comforted in the knowledge that I have missed seeing you since our last meeting.

I have further contemplated your opinions about muggle torture or murder. While I will never admit it to anyone else, I find that your reasoning is quite sound. If I had applied this strategy in the First War, I may never have been cast into the unknowing by a mere infant. I might have swayed the entirety of the Order of the Phoenix to support me. I feel that even Potter Sr. would have agreed to support me if he felt that he could keep his mudblood wife as a token of his loyalty.

I'm ecstatic, sweetling, to have you in my life and by my side. While I know you doubt my sentiments, they are genuine. I have a certain fondness for Severus, I had one for his mother as well, but you are the end of the line, the perfect ending to a well thought out plan. I've never been more happy than when you accepted the olive branch that I offered. Please believe that I will keep my word in regards to your beloved mates.

Until next time, sweetling, enjoy my gift. It is a token that when worn, it will multiply your power, making it doubly as strong. While I have no doubt in the strength of your magic, it can always be made stronger. Please wear it.

Grandfather

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to make of the letter. She hated to catch a glimpse of her grandfather's humanity because it made it so much harder for her to condemn him to the death that he surely deserved. She did truly believe that he hadn't been evil when this whole scenario had began, but since making horcruxes and condoning the rape, torture, and murder of hundreds of muggles and muggleborn alike, his soul had been torn irreparably. He would need to feel remorse for that and she didn't think that he was capable of that emotion.

Hermione passed the letter to Harry so he and Severus could share it. While they read, she opened the token that her grandfather had sent her. It was a beautiful emerald stone caught in a silver band and lined with tiny diamonds. Hermione was the first to admit that it was incredibly beautiful, but she couldn't help but think that it would look entirely out of place on her finger.

Both Harry and Severus were studying the ring from over her shoulder, neither saying a word. Hermione held the ring out to her father, who took it and began casting spells on it. Ginny broke the silence that Hermione hadn't even noticed had fallen.

"Is that from Voldy?" Hermione gave a silent nod.

"Yes, it's a ring that amplifies your power. He wants me to wear it. Merlin, if I do, I'll never need a damn wand." Harry snorted next to her.

"Do you anyways?" She shot him a dirty look.

"You hush, Potter." Ginny leaned closer to study the ring, but didn't dare reach out to touch it.

"I think you should wear it, Hermione. It's beautiful, but it might give you even more power to keep yourself safe." Hermione sighed and nodded, but wasn't quite ready to capitulate.

"I'll consider it."

The room swallowed up her uncertainty in it's loud and constructed chaos. Hermione had always loved Christmas at the Weasleys because it had managed to be loud, loving, and fun at the same time. The twins were plotting pranks on Ronald with Sirius' help while Remus discussed Ministry talk with Arthur and Bill. Charlie took up conversation with Severus about the merits of using dragon scales in certain potions while Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were discussing the plans for the next day.

Severus would be leaving to gather Draco and return him to Headquarters. Surprisingly, Voldemort had not demanded the slip of paper that informed Draco as to the location of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Instead, he had waved his hand dismissively when Severus had informed him of their plans telling him that he would gain further trust within the Order if he had the chance to gain the information and didn't.

Luna had plans to join them at Headquarters the next day as well. Hermione was unsure as to whether the rest of the Weasleys aside from the twins and Ron knew of the true relationship between the Ravenclaw and Ginny, but she supposed that the old adage applied. Not her circus, not her monkeys. She would worry about the situation only if it applied to her.

Hermione worried slightly about what Luna would do when she learned of the Order of the Phoenix. While she knew that Luna nor her father supported the evil wizard in any way whatsoever, she doubted that the Ravenclaw knew she was coming to the heart of the rebellion.

The smells of Christmas dinner were wafting through the house, making the house at large drool in anticipation. Hermione would fully admit that while Molly Weasley was a small-minded hag, her cooking was phenomenal and she would find it extremely difficult to find its equal.

They were just sitting down to the meal when Severus hissed and clutched at his left arm, indicating that he had just been summoned. The Weasleys at large seemed to be uncomfortable with the notion, but Hermione knew exactly what he could face on the other end of the beckoning. Therefore, she stood and threw herself into her father's arms.

"Be safe, Dad." He carded his fingers through her curls before kissing her forehead, much to the surprise of everyone at the table. They still seemed so surprised when the older Slytherin showed her any affection whatsoever.

"I will be just fine, sweet one. I have a feeling I know what this is about." Hermione sniffled a single time before pulling away and putting a dignified look on her face.

"Of course. Please let me know when you return no matter how late." He gave her a curt nod before he raised the sleeve of his left arm. Most of the table gasped, but Hermione didn't let it bother her. She knew where her father's true loyalties lie. He pressed his wand to the Dark Mark on his arm and was gone without another word.

Everyone was much quieter after he had left. There was still conversation after he was gone, joking from the twins that lightened the atmosphere. While the Weasleys tried to act as if Severus leaving wasn't a big deal, Harry, Sirius, and Remus knew differently.

Hermione had been so grateful that Sirius and Remus seemed to drop all their animosity with Severus. She knew that none of them liked each other, but they were all civil with each other and seemed to understand that the others cared for Hermione, therefore, they would band together when needed to protect her.

After Christmas dinner, Hermione had joined Harry, Sirius, and Remus in the library so she could watch their wizard's chess tournament with little enthusiasm. Even though she was certain that her grandfather wouldn't kill Severus without an extremely good reason, she worried that he would be tortured for some perceived failure.

It was hours later that Harry finally stood and made to pull Hermione to bed with him. She hesitated for a mere moment before she gave up giving a fuck what Molly Weasley thought about her morals after that night. Harry didn't lead her to his room, but her own.

Once inside, he stripped her of her clothing and made her lie flat on her belly so he could knead her tense and tight muscles. She acquiesced and laid there, enjoying his hands on her skin. He didn't push her for anything further, simply allowing her to lay naked in comfort and enjoy his massaging hands.

It was around ten p.m. that there was a tentative knock on her door. Hermione rose and flung her robe around her shoulders, making sure that it was tied tightly and completely covered her in case it was one of the boys that had needed her presence. In honesty, she was hoping that it was Severus on the other side of her door. When she flung her door open, she squealed in excitement at seeing her father on the other side.

"Daddy, I was so worried!" He chuckled softly as he pulled her in for a quick hug. When he pulled away, he sobered, causing Hermione to do so as well.

"The breakout occurred tonight. There are many things to fear in the future, but my place in the Dark Lord's future isn't one of them."

-O-

Severus fought the urge to kneel before his father when he made it to the end of the walkway through the Malfoy's drawing room. While he loved Draco to no end, he loved his ancestral home far less.

Since he couldn't bear to kneel before his father with so many looking on, Severus slightly bowed his head before moving to stand slightly behind and to the side of his father. Even though he had been livid at the danger that Hermione had placed herself in, he was thankful that she had secured him a spot in the ranks that didn't involve groveling on his knees like a house elf.

Severus could hear the dissention on the ranks at his lack of humility. While he kept silent and acted like he didn't hear, the Dark Lord did not.

"Does someone have a problem with dear Severusss?" One of the lower level Death Eaters stepped forward boldly, probably trying to make a name for himself, and spoke.

"He didn't kneel before you and kiss your robe, my Lord. He has snubbed you and he deserves punishment." The Dark Lord grinned at the Death Eater and Severus couldn't help but feel bad for the uniformed man.

"Severusss is my ssson, he has provided me with a most powerful heir. He has earned the right not to kneel before me and kissss my robes. Perhaps you should kneel before him and kiss his robes." Severus couldn't remember the young man's name, but the unmistakable hatred that flashed through his eyes was only there when he gazed at Severus.

The young man knelt to his knees and gathered Severus' robes in his hands so he could raise it to his lips. While he wanted to claim that he was good enough to not want any part of the power struggle, the Dark Lord grinned knowingly at him and Severus was forced to endure the situation.

Not that the situation was a hardship. Severus was a creature that liked being in control, having power, liked knowing what was going to happen before fact that he enjoyed the Death Eater kissing his robes scared him a little. It was a heady feeling, having people kneel before you. It took quite a bit to calm himself after the man was made to prostrate himself before him. The Dark Lord was speaking as Severus struggled to reign in his innermost desires.

"Tonight, our brothers and sssistersss are going to be free. To lead in my stead will be my son, Severusss. All will obey him as if it were me."

Severus knew the basic plan of what was supposed to happen. The plan that had been laid out by the Dark Lord months before, and he hadn't expected for it to come fruition for another couple months, was apparently to happen tonight. While he felt just a burgeoning sliver of nervousness, he heard the Dark Lord call out to everyone else about their positions.

"Severusss will be stationed just inside the doors, the rest of you will banish the dementors with the special spellssss I'm providing. You'll make your way through the passages and release anyone with my Mark or willing to come to me directly afterward and take it. I no longer care if they're pureblood. My granddaughter has made me realize that while purebloodsss will always be on top, we must value our lower members of sssociety as well." Severus noticed that not many people looked thrilled with his words, but nobody spoke out against him If they weren't scared of the Dark Lord, they were obviously cowed by the threat of Hermione.

It was only minutes later that they were all dismissed, told to apparate to the North Sea so they could sabotage Azkaban. A group of no more than twenty disappeared and then reappeared on the outside of the prison. An actual prison guard rushed forward, wand extended, and met his end with a quick green spell that left Mulciber's wand. As much as Severus hated the loss of life, the less time he spent on this desolate island, the better.

Severus entered the prison first, wand extended and ready to fling a spell at the first shadow to move. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he was also not foolish enough to believe that this endeavor would occur without anyone wanting to stop it and doing everything in their power to do so.

The dementors came forward and Rowle and Avery stepped forward so they could banish them to whence they came. Severus was relieved; he didn't want to broadcast that he was able to cast a patronus as it was not a common ability for a dark wizard.

The human guards all fell back when they saw the force that had come to ransack their place of employment. They did seem surprised when many of the dementors fell back and didn't even attempt to stop the Death Eaters from raiding the prison.

Lucius stepped forward and gathered three of his brothers and took off for the top level, while Avery did the same for the middle level. Rookwood took the remaining Death Eaters and began to scour the bottom floor for their followers. Severus stood at the entry to the prison, locking it magically from the inside so aurors couldn't enter without him being aware.

They couldn't have been there for more than half an hour. Severus was surprised at exactly how many people had been relieved of their prison terms. There were at least double the amount of people than had arrived at the bleak prison by the sea.

When everyone was gathered at the entrance area, Severus cast a blanket silencing charm around them. He didn't want the guards to be able to hear where they would be traveling to. When he spoke, his tone brooked for no argument.

"We will be traveling to the Dark Lord. Those who aren't already marked will need to make their way to the front poste haste in order to be marked. Those who refuse will meet Mulciber and the business end of his wand." Severus didn't say anything else, just instructed those marked to grab ahold of someone who wasn't so they could all apparate.

While everyone was still pairing up, Severus couldn't help but watch Bellatrix and Rodolphus. He appeared to be calm, doing his best to placate his wife, and Bellatrix was hissing like a fucking snake. Severus was unsure if she was trying to pretend that she could speak with snakes or if she had really lost her mind, but the Slytherin didn't want her fucking up his plans. Besides, he knew she was angry about his role in leading the breakout.

"Bellatrix, quit whispering your sweet nothings in your husband's ear and grasp hold of one of the others. Any problems you have, take them up with the Dark Lord when we return." Severus watched as the maniacal gleam in her eyes changed to one of complete adoration. He had a feeling that Bellatrix was going to be more trouble than she was worth.

As one, the large group of escapees and Death Eaters apparated away, leaving a much-emptier Azkaban in their wake. Severus, who had taken hold of young man round the age of twenty, appeared in the ballroom of Malfoy Manor. The Dark Lord was seated in his throne, Nagini curled around his feet, while Narcissa and Draco played attendance.

Severus was proud. Even though Narcissa looked terrified, Draco appeared to be at ease, carrying a conversation with Voldemort about their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Even though Draco appeared to be enjoying himself, Severus knew the truth. He could tell by the fine tremble in the boy's hand that he was nervous and counting down the moments until he could escape to his room. That didn't appear to be happening any time soon. His father's voice hissed over the entire group.

"Ssstep forward, new recruitsss, and prepare yourselves for my Mark." There was sheer terror on most of their faces, but all of them bravely stepped forward and allowed the Dark Lord to lay his wand against their arm and burn his image into their skin. Bellatrix was cackling in the background, the sound grating on Severus' nerves.

When the Dark Lord finally finished branding his new followers, he sent them off with several of the lower level Death Eaters to find them a room to recuperate in. Once they had all been shuffled out of the room, his father turned his red eyes to those still remaining. He didn't get the chance to speak before Bellatrix threw herself at his feet.

"My Lord, I knew you would liberate us, you have saved us." She was kissing his feet, her tongue slipping out and caressing the scales. Severus wanted to puke. His father let her prostrate before him for several minutes before he shoved her away from him.

"Enough, Bella. There isss information that those freshly freed mussst have. Make no mistake, for those who don't lissssten, death will meet you."

Severus listened to his father as he told his Death Eaters about his son, his granddaughter, his news views in regards to mudblood and muggles, and their new goals. The newly freed Death Eaters looked mutinous. Bellatrix was screeching as soon as the Dark Lord had quieted.

"That filthy mudblood is not going to be welcome in my sister's home, this is all a ruse, My Lord!" Severus wanted to scold Draco for being so bold, but wanted to applaud him because his aunt was mad as a hatter.

"Actually, Aunt Bella, the home doesn't belong to my mother. It's the ancestral home of the Malfoys. Leave her out of your ravings. Hermione is more than welcome here." The crazed woman swung her gaze to her nephew.

"Hermione? Since when do you call the mudblood by her first name?" His daughter had definitely been a bad influence, though Severus predicted that she would be proud of Draco's behavior. Draco raised his chin and stared down his nose imperiously at his aunt.

"Since I began courting her earlier this year, Potter as well. We're a triad." Bellatrix was almost apoplectic with rage. Her wand whipped up to point in Draco's face and Severus had to admit the kid had stones. He neither flinched nor drew his wand, merely stared hard-faced into his aunt's eyes. Severus was surprised when Lucius stepped forward and laid a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Lower your wand, Bellatrix. Draco is correct, as the Dark Lord's heir, Miss Riddle is welcome in our home at any time. To assume that you make decisions for my House would be folly." Severus kept waiting for his father to step in, but he seemed content to watch the proceedings. Bellatrix was almost frothing at the mouth she was so angry.

"You would condone letting your son impregnate a half-blood, Lucius? You would sully your impeccable breeding with that filth?" It seemed that this was when Voldemort had had enough. His voice was silky as he glared openly at his most loyal supporter.

"My blood would sssully the Malfoy line, Bellatrix? You're saying that having my blood in their family would lower their ssstanding in our world?" Bellatrix seemed to realize just then who she had insulted with her words. She began to stammer out an apology, reassuring her lord that she didn't feel that way at all. The Dark Lord, in all his fury, spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Rest asssssured, Bellatrix, my granddaughter is ten timesss the witch you are. She will carry my line into the next generation. Coupled with Malfoy blood and Potter blood, it will ensure greatnessss." The room around them was silent as Bellatrix whimpered her apologies. The Dark Lord stepped back and turned to Severus.

"Ssshe called your daughter, the light of your life, a filthy mudblood and said that she would ruin the Malfoy bloodline. I'll give you the reward of punishing her for a mosssst excellent job done tonight." Severus really didn't want to do anything to Bellatrix but banish her from his sight, but he knew what was expected of him. He gave a curt nod to his father and raised his own wand to the mad woman.

Her screams echoed through the ballroom as he tortured Bellatrix for a half hour. Everyone remained silent while he did so, none of them able to take their eyes from the scene playing out before them. When he finally decided that he had put on a good enough show, he released her from the torture curse and spoke in a drawl.

"You'll do well to remember that having our blood in your line would only be a boon. Do not forget who rules you again."

Bellatrix moaned and panted on the floor, laying in a puddle of her own piss. While Severus didn't enjoy torturing people, if he had to do so, it was best that it was Bellatrix. She deserved the pain for her many transgressions against humanity. The Dark Lord quietly dismissed everyone aside from Severus, claiming that he was tired from the days exertions. Severus was quick as he pulled Draco to the side.

"Stay in your room for the rest of the night. Lock your door, don't let anyone in unless it's me or your mother. I don't trust the current company you're entertaining in your home. I'll be by tomorrow mid-morning to bring you to Hermione and Potter." Draco didn't say anything, just nodded, but he could see that the man understand why he was telling him these things. Any number of their followers that hadn't seen Hermione's rage in action would feel no remorse in "teaching Draco a lesson".

The blond scampered off behind his father and Severus took a steadying breath before he turned to face his father. Even though he was reasonably sure that his father wouldn't torture him without an extremely good reason, he still got frazzled nerves when he had to face the Dark Lord down.

"Tell me, Severusss, how is Isssabella Rose?" Severus still couldn't get over just how much the man seemed to care for his granddaughter. If he hadn't been an evil dictator, his inquiry would have been normal, but the fact that he was quite evil made the whole scenario surreal.

"She's well, enjoying time with Black and the wolf. She got angry at the youngest Weasley when we first arrived and she told the two of them about her attack and what Dumbledore did to her. They no longer seem to be too excited about following the old fool. They are both quite fond of her, I think they could be swayed to our way of thinking."

His father stroked his chin while he began hissing at the snake at his feet. It was in this moment that Severus wished he had been blessed with the parselmouth gene like his daughter. He briefly wondered if maybe Dumbledore had bound his power when he had discovered all those years ago that Voldemort was his father, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Hermione would have seen it in his mind when she ransacked it and would have informed him at the very least.

"I would like to ssspeak with my granddaughter before I make that decision, Severusss. She seemsss to have an uncanny feeling about how best to go about things. You have quite the daughter, Severusss." He bowed his head in agreement.

"Yes, indeed I do. I never seemed to care for the simpering, vapid beauties that were empty between their ears. I'm very pleased that my offspring is beautiful, powerful, and intelligent." Voldemort nodded, almost as if to himself.

"Indeed. I'm sure young Isssabella worriesss for you. Go to her now and assure her of your safety. Tell her I hope she enjoysss her gift." Severus gave him another nod before turning and leaving the ballroom, his robes billowing behind him.

He had warned Draco so he could keep himself safe, he had to stop by his daughter's room and assure her of his safety and the events of the night, and then fall into bed.

He was exhausted.

-O-

Draco rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands. While he had been on the receiving end of his father's Cruciatus before, he had never witnessed torture before. His mother had always insisted that he be made to leave the room.

Tonight had been intense. He was going to curse both Harry and Hermione when he next saw them for rubbing their brash lion-like ways on him. Looking back on his outburst, it seemed incredibly foolhardy. He couldn't help the small smile that formed when he realized that the two he was inwardly cursing would cheer on his actions.

Watching Severus hold Bellatrix under the torture curse had been painful to watch. It was plain to Draco that his godfather didn't like torturing the woman, but he was obligated to. If there was one thing that Draco could say about his godfather, it was that he always did what needed to be done.

He couldn't wait til tomorrow morning. It had only been ten days, but it felt like it had been forever since he had seen Hermione and Harry. While he had known going in that he would miss Hermione, he was still surprised that he missed Harry's company as well. He laughed to himself when he thought of the cheesy line in his letter to the two of them that morning. He had hoped that it would make Hermiome feel special.

Draco was dragged from his thoughts by someone beating on his door. He had taken Severus' warning to heart and had locked his door twice since he wasn't able to do so magically. He decided to play like he was asleep and not answer, hoping that whoever was on the other side would take the hint and leave.

Draco should have known better than to hope, however. The door blew inward quite dramatically since it didn't seem to actually damage the door itself. His Aunt Bellatrix was standing before him, eyes wild and hair growing bigger the angrier she seemed to become. She waved her wand at the door and not only did it close, it locked. Draco tried not to gulp in dread.

"Hello, nephew. I'm here because you need some lessons about having proper pureblood pride in your bloodline. Shall we begin?"

Draco could only hope she didn't kill him.

A/N- And a cliffy! I'm so sorry guys (actually I'm not!) but I promise to start the new chapter tomorrow. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter...leave me your thoughts, they make me smile.

To everyone who voted for me in Hermione's Haven awards, again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Next chapter, Hermione takes on Bellatrix!

Love,

Alicia


	24. Chapter 24

A/N- I know I left y'all with a cliffy last chapter and I would like to say that I'm remorseful, but it would be a lie. Therefore, I have done my absolute best to get you the next chapter as quickly as possible. Your feedback is phenomenal, as always, and I appreciate it more than I can say. Thank you to everyone out there who is supporting me in the massive undertaking of a story. Anyways, enough of that sentimental shite. On with what you've all been waiting for since I published the last chapter.

Trigger warning: Graphic torture.

***Thanks to AuntCori for being my 600th reviewer. Y'alls love just humbles me. ***

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. I have borrowed the characters and I'm positive that the story line has been done before. All hail our queen, J.K.R.

Chapter 24

December 26, 1995

All that Draco knew was pain. He was unsure of exactly how long he had been prone on the floor of his bedroom, but he knew that it had been hours. It hadn't even been midnight when his Aunt Bellatrix had shown up at his door telling him that she needed to teach him how to show proper pureblood pride in his blood line and he could see the sun peeking out over the clouds through one of his many bedroom windows.

Bellatrix was still cackling above him, her Azkaban robes hanging loosely around her skinny body. It was apparent that the woman had spent the last decade in prison; her eyes were sunk in, her skin pale and sallow, her hair a mess of matted-up curls that were now lined heavily with grey. Her skin hung off her bones from lack of nutrition. Draco had seen photos of his aunt growing up and he had always found her to be an attractive woman, much like his mother, but in a much more untamed way. To look at her now made Draco realize just how far gone the woman truly was.

The woman had been torturing him for hours, this he knew for sure. Bellatrix had put him through several different methods of torture in the hopes that he would finally admit that he shouldn't take up with trash like Hermione, that regardless of her parentage, she was undeserving of not only his name, but his seed. Even through the worst of it, Draco remained strong and held his convictions. He could only imagine how bloody proud Hermione and Harry were going to be of him. Fuck, he would probably never live down his one true Gryffindor moment. This act alone would probably keep in him blow jobs for the rest of his life. While this wasn't usually important, well, not overly so, it was something that he could focus on and keep himself going with.

Draco had come to despise the sight of her wand. Not only did she use the Cruciatus Curse on him more times than he could count, she used it as other tools of torture. His least favorite had been where she had turned the end of her wand into a bull whip and lashed his bare back with it. She had told him that she wouldn't allow the deep gashes in his alabaster skin to heal until he told her what she wanted to hear. While this would have frightened him any other time, Draco knew that Severus was coming for him in the morning. He simply had to hold on until then.

The young Slytherin had no idea how many lashes that his aunt had given him with her wand, but he could no longer feel his back. He could tell that he was resting in a pool of blood, all of it his own he knew, but beyond that he couldn't even begin to gauge the level of damage that she had done to him. After his back had been ruined and no longer offered any entertainment to the barmy witch, she had flipped Draco over and transfigured a quill into a dagger. The blond hadn't been able to hold in the screams when she had started to carve his chest. When she had finally stopped, obviously proud of herself, Draco had gathered the stones to see just what she had done to him.

Blood traitor.

Two words, fucking blood traitor, was carved into his fucking chest and Draco was livid. While he didn't stand by the notion of blood purity like he did before, he also knew that most muggleborns were simply not as strong as half-bloods or purebloods. He had always believed Hermione to be the exception, not the rule. That did not, however, mean that he wanted the words blood traitor carved into his chest. He could only trust that the scars would be treatable with one of the standard potions.

The Cruciatus Curse was by far the worst of the torture. She would hold it on him for different passages of time, differing the intensity as well. It was after spending time with Bellatrix that Draco realized that his father had always taken it quite easy on him when he used the curse as punishment. Bellatrix had always been an extremely powerful witch, far more powerful than his mother or Aunt Andromeda, and it was quite apparent that she hadn't lost her touch after more than ten years in a prison that was designed to make you mad.

Several times Draco could feel the quiet hum of insanity just off in the distance in his mind. He would fight the curse, struggling to stay in the pain because the very last thing he wanted was to end up like Neville's parents. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like for his parents or Hermione and Harry to have to come visit him in St. Mungo's. If they even would. This was a sobering thought, so he did all he could to remain in the realm of overwhelming pain, even though it was sapping his strength and magic as surely as his name was Malfoy.

Draco lay there on his bedroom floor, covered in blood and unsure that he was even going to survive this endeavor. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and give into the sweet oblivion that passing out would afford him. Bellatrix was standing over him, maniacal look in her eyes and cackling like the crazy bitch that she was. He had almost decided to go through with it, to let Bellatrix win, to pass out. He had hopes that Severus would find him before he died. Draco had finally closed his eyes, causing his aunt to crow in triumph when the door blew open much the same as it had last night. His eyes flew open it was a welcome sight to see his godfather standing in the doorway, black robes swishing around him as if he never quite stopped moving when he blasted the door with his wand extended. The look on his face was frightening, one that Draco had never seen on his features before. He was getting ready to speak when Hermione, sweet, beautiful Hermione, stepped out from behind him and further into the room. Her face contorted in rage and in that moment, Draco knew that he was safe.

He let the darkness pull him under, knowing that his mate and godfather wouldn't let anything else happen to him.

-O-

Hermione hadn't slept well. She couldn't understand why since she and Harry had fallen asleep together in her bedroom, Harry's arm wrapped tightly around her waist in the possessive manner that she simply adored. Harry seemed to have absolutely no problems sleeping, snoring softly in her ear from behind her. The Gryffindor couldn't place just why she was sleepless, but she felt like there was something wrong, that there was something on the edge of her consciousness that was telling her that something wasn't right.

She had laid there the whole night, knowing that she wouldn't be able to do anything about how she felt in the middle of the night. She wasn't sure if anyone aside from Harry would believe her, but she was honestly past the point of caring. Her greatest fear was that there was something wrong with Draco, but she was unsure how she would be able to feel that. Therefore, in the wee hours of the morning before light had even begun to bleed into the sky, she decided that she would ask Severus to accompany her early to retrieve Draco. She was unsure how she felt about Harry going with her; if there was indeed something wrong with Draco, he could easily help her heal him like they had before, but she didn't want to expose Harry to the danger as well.

Hermione rose before Harry, slipping out of his arms with practiced ease. She was always the first one up in the Room of Requirement and she was able to extract herself from both of their embraces and not wake them up. She wrapped herself in a robe and made her to the loo, so she could shower and ready herself for the day. The Gryffindor didn't linger under the warm water like she usually wanted to, she was in and out, washed, and dried in ten minutes. She donned her robe once more, so she could make her way back to her bedroom to dress. Harry was just stirring as she entered, probably noticing the lack of warmth that both boys swore she brought to bed with them. She disagreed; it was them that were always warm. Harry gave her a sleepy smile.

"Hey, 'Mi, how'd you sleep? I didn't even know that you had got up." She gave him a small smile as she dropped her robe and began to go through the wardrobe that was now full of clothing.

"I didn't sleep. There is something wrong, I just can't tell what. I'm going to make Dad get up and take me to Malfoy Manor. I have a feeling that there is something wrong with Draco." Harry was instantly alert and on his feet.

"I'm coming with you." She grimaced because she just wasn't sure what she wanted to do about it. Deciding that he was able to make his own decisions, especially since he would be with both herself and Severus, she nodded.

Harry leapt to his feet and ran to shower off quickly. Hermione decided that she would wear witch's robes since she would possibly be facing not only her grandfather, but all his followers as well. She froze when she realized that there would be Death Eaters there that had never met her before. Would they hurt Draco if they thought that he was dating her? She trusted her grandfather to inform them that she and her mates were off limits, but she didn't trust them to listen. She suddenly moved much quicker.

Deciding on a pair of elegant robes the same ebony color as her hair, Hermione began to hastily dress. Harry entered and began to throw his own set of robes on. Hermione waved her hand over her hair, drying it completely so it would hang down in soft ringlets around her waist. Harry was already dressed, running his hand through his messy hair when Hermione slipped on her shoes so they could leave.

Harry took her hand and led her out of their bedroom just in time for Ronald and the twins to emerge from their bedroom. Their eyes widened at the obvious fact that the pair had spent the night together, but the twins remained quiet. Ronald, however, had no such inclination.

"I wonder what ferret boy would do if he knew you two were having fun with out him?" Hermione wasn't in the mood for the redhead's shit this morning, so she just ignored him. Harry, however, didn't. Truly, she chalked it up to his worry for Draco that he let Ronald rile him up enough to respond.

"Don't worry about Draco, it's not like you care if he's upset anyways. Fuck off." Ronald must have seen something in Harry's gaze to suggest that he was serious. He scampered off down the corridor and descended the steps, so he could make his way to the kitchen she was sure. Hermione laid a hand on Harry's arm.

"I know you're worried, I am too, but we have to remain calm so our occlumency barriers will hold. If we're going into the belly of the beast and there are people there that want to do us harm, we need to keep our tempers under control." Harry blew out a breath and nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Come on, let's go find Professor Snape." Hermione gave him a soft smile and nodded.

Hermione allowed him to lead her through the corridors of their floor until they found her father's room. Hermione rapped on it harder than was necessary, but she wasn't in the mood to be careful of how someone reacted to her actions. When there was no answer in a minute's time, Harry clutched her hand once more and pulled her down the stairs towards the kitchen. Both Gryffindors were surprised to see that even though they had risen early, they were the last ones to grace breakfast with their presence. Everyone was seated around the large table that dominated the kitchen, most everyone yelling their conversations to someone across said table.

Sirius and Remus were having a conversation with Severus, something that she had yet to see since they had been there. Not that she was complaining, but it did throw her for half a second. Ronald and the twins had entered just before them and the former bounded up to the Marauders and Severus. Hermione knew that he was going to tattle like he was a first year, but she just couldn't make herself care. She couldn't make herself worry about Remus' protective sensibilities while she was worried about Draco.

"Hermione had Harry stay the night in her room. They were freshly showered, they probably showered together." Hermione wanted to laugh at the faces on everyone involved. Unsurprisingly, Sirius looked proud. Hermione could only shake her head at how much of a man whore he was. Severus looked at Ron as if he had asked him to pass the sausage. Remus looked concerned but didn't say anything even though Hermione was sure that he wanted to. Molly, much to Hermione's earlier predictions, flipped her lid.

"I will not condone this sort of behavior under my roof. You may not belong to me, but I have the right to not have my children around such loose and immoral behavior. You are fifteen and sixteen, it isn't proper." All three men seemed to realize that Hermione wasn't listening at all and there seemed to be something bothering her. Sirius turned to make eye contact with Molly.

"If you don't want your children around this kind of behavior, feel free to leave. Obviously, Severus doesn't seem to mind, he trusts his daughter. I trust Harry to not move too quickly and to treat Hermione with every bit of respect that she deserves. Truly, if you can't seem to manage with just asking your children to steer clear of our children's rooms, please go home. I won't stand for this. This is both their homes and they shouldn't have to constantly be judged in it." Molly fell silent, obviously surprised that she was being dismissed as easily as she was. Hermione wanted to cheer on the inside, but she had more important things to deal with now.

"There's something wrong, Dad. I can feel it. I don't know what it is, not for sure, but I think it's Draco. I want to go get him now. I'm coming with you." Her father grimaced as he spoke.

"Sweet, I know you want to go get him, but your grandfather has brought home the most rabid of his dogs. They will attack you, they were most displeased with the fact that you have been declared off limits. I fear for your safety." Hermione stood straighter and raised her chin.

"I have to go. He is my mate and I can't let him suffer. He is mine to protect. I don't want to fight with you, but I'm going whether you tell l can or not. I'd prefer you support me and have my back. I don't trust anyone in that snake pit to do so. Please, Daddy." Severus sighed and pinched he bridge of his nose.

"Very well. However, knowing who I know to be over there, I must insist that Harry stay within the safety of Grimmauld Place. I can't protect you and Draco, all while trying to fend off the Death Eaters that will most assuredly try to be killing The-Boy-Who-Lived." Harry made to argue, but Sirius stepped forward and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I agree, Prongslet. I can't let you go when they're going to try to attack you. I understand that what Hermione is doing in this playing both sides thing is important, but it's in the prophecy that you are the only one that can kill Moldyshorts. Please don't fight me on this." Hermione could see how truly upset Harry was, his eyes were shining with unshed tears. His hands clenched in frustration and fury and she could see that he was ready to explode.

"I care about Draco just as much as Hermione. He's become like my brother. I need to go to help keep him and Hermione safe." Sirius made him face him, so he could lay both his hands on his shoulders.

"Harry, I know you care about him. I'm not saying anything about the fact that you care for him. I just want you to be smart. How would Hermione and Draco feel if you went to go rescue him and were killed? The question you need to ask yourself is do you trust Severus?" Harry sighed again and when he spoke he sounded defeated.

"Yes, I trust him. I know he would never do anything to cause any of us harm if he could avoid it." Sirius nodded at him.

"Exactly. That means you must trust him to get Hermione and Draco out there in case things go south. One less person to worry about is going to mean it will be that much easier for him." Harry finally nodded his understanding.

"Alright. I'll stay here, but don't expect me to be good company." Sirius grinned at his godson and Hermione found herself relieved that he was staying.

"Remus and I will keep you suitably distracted." Harry nodded as he flopped down in the chair next to Remus. Severus seemed to realize that Hermione didn't mean that they would be waiting until after breakfast. He hurriedly wiped his mouth and stood, pushing his chair back far enough so he could exit. Realizing that they were leaving, Harry stood again and moved to embrace Hermione.

Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's waist, taking in his scent and letting it calm her. She needed to heed the advice that she had given Harry earlier and went to work on clearing her mind. She pulled away just a touch, so she could reach up and twist her fingers in his hair and pull him down. Her lips met his passionately, Hermione putting all her emotions in the one single kiss. It wasn't long, or deep by any means, but Harry understood exactly what she was trying to portray. He pressed one last peck to her lips before he pulled away and gently pushed her towards her father. Hermione didn't think that anything bad would happen to her when she was righteously angered, but there was always a chance something terrible could happen.

Everyone else lifted a hand to wave at them as they left except for Sirius and Remus. Both stepped forward and gave Hermione a quick hug and admonished her to be careful and find her way back to them. They quickly shook hands with Severus and wished him luck. Severus then took her elbow in his hand and pulled her to the only apparition point that could be used in the house unless he used his Dark Mark. It would be much quicker to use his Dark Mark, but he didn't want to take the chance of splinching while bringing his daughter with him.

The pair landed outside the gates of Malfoy Manor and neither one of them paused in the slightest as the gate opened. They hadn't been in much of a hurry either time that she had visited in the past. This time, Hermione was trying to move so fast that she was beginning to stumble. Even though Severus was having no problems with the pace he had set, he slowed just slightly so she wouldn't face plant in the gravel. Just like every other time she had visited, Mipsy opened the door and gestured for them to enter. She usually didn't speak, but this time she did.

"Everyone is still asleeps, Mister Snapes." Severus gave her a nod before he continued his way.

"I'm here to pick up Draco for the rest of the holidays. Everyone is aware of our plans. If anyone asks about why we're here, send them to Draco's room." Mipsy gave a submissive nod as Hermione and Severus passed her and headed towards the stairs. Hermione had no idea where she was going since the only place that she had ever seen was the ballroom. Therefore, she followed closely behind her father as they made their way through the corridors and up staircases.

It was a testament to how big the house truly was when it took them more than five minutes to find his room at a brisk pace. Hermione could tell that there was something off, she felt progressively worse each step she took closer to his room. They finally reached an elaborate door that was marked with the word "Draco" in calligraphy. Even though Hermione wanted to be the first to rush in and make sure that her mate was alive and well, she knew that Severus would never agree. He wanted to protect both and since he had let her come with him with almost no argument, she decided not to argue with him in this instance. Her father knocked on the door and waited for Draco to call out to him.

When there was no answer, Hermione knew that something was wrong. She had had a feeling before, but now she was certain. Even though she would get in trouble for using magic outside of school, she slipped her wand out of her sleeve and into her hand. Severus glanced at her sideways and shook his head.

"Don't use that unless you have no other choice. I'm not sure if the wards here are strong enough to block out a tracing spell." Hermione gave him a nod while he turned to try to unlock the door. When the simple unlocking spell from first year didn't work, Severus waved his wand and tried another one. When it failed to give them access to Draco's room, Hermione was almost hyperventilating. There was something wrong and they couldn't get through the door. She was about to suggest just blowing the door off the hinges when her father motioned for her to get back.

"I can't get it open. I'm going to have to blow the door back."

Hermione obeyed and moved several steps back. She watched as her father cast what appeared to be a bombarda spell at the door, blowing it inward. Hermione couldn't see around her father, but by his stance, she didn't think that it was good. She hurried forward to step up next to him and was horrified by what she saw.

Draco was on his back in the middle of his enormous room, laying in a pool of what appeared to be his own blood. He was almost naked, only his boxers were in place, almost as if he had been caught while changing. He had the words "blood traitor" carved into the perfect alabaster skin of his chest and she could just see the edges of what appeared to be whip marks on the edges of his back that were visible. Draco appeared to be on the verge of fading from consciousness, like he needed to pass out, but he had been fighting it for far too long and was finally losing the battle.

Hermione was livid.

She moved to step forward but was taken by surprise by a spell almost hitting her from behind. Bellatrix seemed to still be focused on Draco, so Severus turned to shield their backs. Hermione caught glimpses of three full-grown, grizzled, almost starved Death Eaters. They look vaguely familiar, but she was unsure of their identities. As soon as Severus has his back turned, Bellatrix seemed to realize that they were behind her. How she didn't know before, Hermione wasn't sure, but she seemed to realize that she was there now.

Bellatrix abandoned her nephew on the floor with a final kick to his abdomen. That was the last straw for Hermione. Even though her wand was in her hand, Hermione didn't use it. Her magic burst out of her, dropping Bellatrix to her knees. She was screaming in agony and Hermione didn't care. She increased the amount of magic that was pouring out of her and she could visibly see the skin peeling from Bellatrix's arms and legs. Something in the back of her mind told her that she had done enough, that she should back off, but it was impossible when she just had to turn her head a fraction of an inch and see Draco, now unconscious, in all his bloodied glory.

Hermione finally managed to pull her magic back for just a few moments, knowing that she was going to end up killing her if she didn't. As much as the woman deserved to die, she didn't want Draco to feel guilty, like he was the reason that she was forced to commit murder. She would have been able to back off and let the woman catch her breath before she caused her more pain, but it wasn't meant to be. Bellatrix, how she was still functioning Hermione didn't know, managed to lift her arm and raise her wand long enough to fire a curse off. If it had been aimed at Hermione, it would have been one thing. Honestly, it very may well have been meant for the Gryffindor, but if Hermione hadn't been quick enough with her shield charm, whatever she shot from her wand would have hit Draco right in the chest.

The righteous rage boiled up within her again.

Hermione flicked her hand, wand and all, and the mad woman's wand exploded. She stepped closer to Bellatrix and she could see the pain in her eyes. When Hermione stood over her, the woman spit at her shoes. It was bloody and was too thick for it to be normal.

"Filthy mudblood, you will get what's coming to you, my Lord will save me and kill you in the most horrible way you could imagine." Hermione waved her hand at her shoe and scourgified it before she locked gazes with the woman.

"Your lord happens to be my grandfather, his own flesh and blood. I'm going to kill you and he isn't going to stop me. You were warned not to fuck with me and here we are. Enjoy your last moments of pain." Severus turned in that moment and made sure that she was still winning. She gave him a grim smile before she turned back to Bellatrix.

Her magic decided the fate of the older woman. Hermione wasn't sure what was causing Bellatrix to scream as if she was being torn in two, but she didn't care. The time for stopping was past. After a few moments, it was clear why Bellatrix was screaming the way she was. Her magic was literally ripping the woman open across her chest, bones could be heard breaking and blood was pouring out of the split down her sternum. She was horrified at what her magic was capable of, but there was no turning back. After several minutes, the older woman seemed to just explode from her chest, killing her instantly. Blood, gore, and who knows what else went in every direction, covering Draco, Hermione, his bedding and the walls.

Hermione didn't turn to help her father, he was an accomplished wizard that most of the Death Eaters feared on an ordinary day. She instead dropped to Draco's side, kneeling in his blood and placing her hands on his chest as she had done before when she had healed him. Now, looking back, she was saddened that they hadn't brought Harry. Now it would take longer for them to get Draco healed since they would have to take him to Grimmauld Place first. She could feel the beginnings of her magic flowing into Draco when a shout recalled her attention to the situation at hand.

Severus was still dueling two Death Eaters, all manners of spells and colors lighting up the shadowed corridor outside of Draco's room. The third one managed to slip just behind Severus as he turned to dodge a spell. Hermione was unprepared for the man to make his way into the bedroom while she was focused on Draco. Just as the grizzled man raised his wand to her, she saw her grandfather and Lucius enter the corridor behind the two men that Severus was still fighting. She felt an unexpected measure of relief at the sight of Lucius and Voldemort. She just wanted for the adults to take care of the problem with the Death Eaters so she could focus on Draco.

This relief didn't last long since the man that had raised his wand to her let a spell fly, purple in color. Hermione watched it soar through the air impossibly fast before she realized that it was going to hit Draco. Without the time needed to cast a shield, even when she could do so impossibly fast, Hermione did the only thing left that she could do without the aid of magic.

Hermione threw herself in front of the spell, where it stuck her directly in the chest. All she felt was horrific pain for several moments before her world went dark.

-O-

Severus felt his blood run cold when he saw Dolohov raise his wand at his daughter. Like his father had called her, the light of his life. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, although there was no way that he could move fast enough to save her from whatever fate the Death Eater decided for her. Severus didn't even think that surprised covered it when he saw Dolohov aim not for Hermione, but for Draco. When Hermione did the only thing that she could to save her mate, throwing herself into the spell before it could hit him, Severus felt his air tight control snap.

His fury was now feeding his magic and he had an inkling as to how Hermione felt when she said that she didn't usually think about what she was going to do when she lost control. Her magic was fed by her anger and it did things that she didn't always intend. This was exactly how Severus felt now. He swiped his wand a single time at Rodolphus and Rabastan, sending them both crashing to the ground screaming. For the first time, he realized that Lucius and his father approaching quickly.

Severus didn't care. He was going to make the man who hurt his baby girl pay. He turned away from Lucius and the Dark Lord, raised his wand, only to be immobilized in the middle of casting the killing curse. Instant fury burned even brighter when Lucius stepped forward and bound Dolohov as he cast worried glances toward his son and Hermione. The Dark Lord stood before him and that was the first time that Severus ever let his hatred for the man show in his eyes. The Dark Lord merely chuckled and twined the fingers of one hand in the hair on the side of Severus' head.

"I need to check over Isssabella and her young beau." Severus watched, helpless, as his father stepped forward and knelt at the side of his daughter and godson. He laid his hand on both of their foreheads for a few moments before he stood and spoke.

"Bella did a number on young Draco. He isss injured but will live. Isssabella was hit with one of Dolohov's ssspecialty curses. She doesn't have long. You must take her and Draco both to young Harry, make sure that they all ssstay together. It raises her chance at survival. You will need the following potions to ensure that she survivesss, granted that she gets them in her system soon enough. As sssoon as Draco wakes and is able, he and young Harry need to heal her as she healed Draco the lassst time that they were here." The Dark Lord rattled off twelve potions that Severus was quick to commit to memory. His father released his hair and stepped back.

"You will get your revenge, Ssseverus. As much as I care for the girl, she is your pride and joy. Make no mistake, you will make an example of Dolohov in front of all our followersss. As soon as you deliver your two young chargesss to the Order headquarters, return here and I will have them all gathered, and you may do asss you wish to Dolohov here as long as he'sss dead in the end. Hopefully, nobody will doubt your Isssabella after we parade them through here to see what'sss left of her." Severus felt better at his words. Now he understood why his father had stopped him from killing Dolohov outright. He wanted to ensure his daughter's safety by making him an example. As if sensing Severus' change of heart, the Dark Lord released him from the spell that was holding him immobile. Severus couldn't help it. He dropped to his knees and took his father's robes in hand, so he could kiss them. This was the one time Severus didn't mind.

"Thank you, Father." It was the first time that he had ever addressed Voldemort as his father, and while he had originally thought that he would detest it if he ever had to do it, he found that he didn't. Maybe it was because the man held his daughter's life just as dear as he did, even if it wasn't for the same reasons. His father laid his hand on his head as he spoke.

"Fathersss are here to make sure that their family is sssafe. While I didn't always do this for you, I would like to help you do that for young Isssabella. Go now, take her and Draco. Lay them in the sssame bed, keep Potter close. They'll feed off his ssstrength and remind them to heal her as much as they can once Draco wakesss." Severus rose fluidly and nodded before extending his wand to cast a featherlight charm on both his charges. With a last thought, he summoned a robe to wrap around Draco since he was only in his underwear. Lucius cast a worried glance at his son before he spoke to Severus.

"Please tell him to send me a message as soon as he's able. Keep him safe." Severus was surprised at the level of concern in his old friend's voice. Rather than speak, he nodded his agreement.

Without a backwards glance, Severus levitated his daughter and godson and guided them out the door of Draco's room. He had no doubt that his father would parade everyone through Draco's room and show them exactly what Hermione was capable of. He only hoped that the mess was cleaned up before Narcissa came to visit her son. He wondered if she would hold it against Hermione that she had killed her sister rather brutally. He rather thought not since the woman had been torturing her son, but who knew with women.

As Severus made his way through the corridors as quickly as possible, his thoughts turned to his daughter. Hermione had such a kind heart, a soft heart, that knowing what she had done to Bellatrix would likely eat her up with guilt. He remembered how he had felt after the first time he had tortured and killed under his father's tutelage. He hadn't risen from his bed for three days, racked with guilt that wouldn't stop consuming him. It had been Lucius that had rousted him from his bed and told him that guilt was something that every human lived with, the only thing that differed was the reason you felt it. Severus had known then that he had to pick himself up, deal with the guilt, and move on. He vowed to himself as he made his way up the gravel drive that he would do everything in his power to help her through it.

Once outside the gates, Severus grasped the arms of both Hermione and Draco. He gathered all his self-control, so he could focus on not splinching any of them. With the customary squeezing of apparition, the trio disappeared and reappeared in the front hall of Grimmauld Place. He decided that he would set them up in the library. None of their rooms would be big enough for all three of them and his father had been quite clear that they would all need to stay together for them to heal to the best of their abilities. It was clear that everyone had been waiting for him because he hadn't taken three steps when the door opened, and Harry, Remus, and Sirius entered. Sheer panic crossed the face of Harry while the two older men rushed forward, wands extended, so they could help.

"What the fuck happened to them? You were going to protect them!" Severus felt a stab of guilt at the Gryffindor's words. He had told them that he would protect the pair of them and he had failed. It was Sirius that hushed his godson.

"You don't know what happened, Prongslet. You can't blame him for anything yet." Severus gave him a grateful nod as he let Sirius levitate Draco.

"Take them to the library, Remus, go make a bed big enough for the pair of them at least. Then go floo Hogwarts, tell the Headmaster that I need these potions from my stores and Poppy to come tend them until I can return." He rattled off the potions that the Dark Lord had told him he needed to save his daughter. Remus seemed to remember them with no difficulty. By the time they made it into the library, Remus had already been in there and conjured a bed for the pair. Harry was going back and forth between Hermione's prone form and Draco's, obviously distressed at the condition of his mates. Once both of his charges were laid next to each other on the bed, Harry turned to him, anger still visible in his eyes, but more respect in his tone.

"What the fuck happened?" Sirius clamped his hands down on Harry's shoulders from behind, grounding him and keeping him calm. Severus was checking over both his daughter and godson, making sure that there was nothing he could be doing. He realized that Hermione's robes were wet in the front. Feeling like a pervert, he pulled the top of her robe off her chest, so he could peer down the top of them. Her breasts were covered in lacy bra, thank goodness, but that wasn't what distressed him. There was a deep gasp from the top of her left breast that bisected her chest, ending at the top of her right hip. It was an inch wide and was seeping blood at an alarming rate. Without a second thought to modesty, he ripped her robes open, exposing her bra and her wound.

"Get over here, Harry. You must try to heal this as best you can. I know you don't have Draco to help so I don't hold much hope that it will work, but you're the one that has the best chance of healing her." Harry instantly came forward and once everyone got a clear view of her torso, they gasped.

"Do whatever it is you did to Draco." Harry was quick to obey. He laid his hands palms down over the wound, blood coating his palms and fingers as he tried his hardest to concentrate. Even though Severus wanted to scream that he wasn't doing anything, that he needed to try harder, he remained quiet. This idea was a long shot since he was almost certain that while both boys may be able to do it together, neither one of them seemed powerful enough on their own to do so. Finally, Harry broke away from her body in frustration, nothing about the wound changing. Severus was already covered in blood, so he began to mop up the blood that she and Draco were seeping onto the sheets.

"We got there and found Bellatrix torturing Draco. She had been at it all night, he passed out as soon as we got there. We were ambushed from behind by Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Antonin Dolohov. I was dueling all three of them while Hermione took on Bellatrix. That crazy bitch didn't stand a chance. Hermione killed her, exploded her chest after peeling her skin from her body. It was when I dodged a curse that I gave Dolohov an opening. He pushed past me and sent the curse at Draco. There was no time to react and she threw herself in front of the curse. I lost it. With a single spell, I felled Rodolphus and Rabastan. I turned to kill Dolohov and the Dark Lord froze me while Lucius bound Dolohov. I have to go back because he's letting me make an example out of Dolohov as to what will happen to anyone who touches the three of you again." Harry let out a shuddering breath.

"This wasn't your fault, sir, I'm sorry I said that it was. When you say make an example…." Harry didn't finish the question but left it open-ended. Severus raised a single eye brown.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to, young Potter. I must go. Make sure that Poppy gives her every single potion on that list, they're all in my stores. They must remain in the same bed because of the bond you three share. You need to stay close, Potter. When Draco wakes, you need to cast the healing spell that you just tried, the Dark Lord was adamant that it needed to be done to guarantee her survival." All three of them were nodding their heads, a determined gleam in their eyes. Severus turned to Sirius and Remus with a serious look plastered on his face.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. I plan to make sure that nobody touches these three again. Watch them and don't let any harm come to them while I'm gone. I'm trusting the pair of you with my daughter and my godson, the two people who mean the most to me in the world." Remus stuck out his hand for Severus to shake while Sirius spoke gravely, quite far from the norm.

"We won't leave them alone for a second until you return, Severus. You can trust us." Severus didn't trust himself to speak so he merely nodded before turning on his heel and making his way back out of the library. This time, he didn't bother with the Entrance Hall. He lifted his sleeve and pressed his wand to the Dark Mark, apparating away instantly.

Severus landed in the Malfoy ballroom and there were dozens of people present. The newest members that had been marked the day before were huddled towards the back of the room, clearly uncomfortable with what was about to happen. None of the other Death Eaters appeared to be enjoying themselves, something that was actually quite common amongst the lot of them, but he was sure that that was because Dolohov was going to be punished for harming the Dark Lord's granddaughter. Severus strode through the masses of people towards the front where his father waited with Lucius at his side. The blond stepped forward.

"How are the children?" Severus knew that his father was also listening, so he gave them as much information as possible.

"Young Potter tried to heal my daughter on his own, but without Draco he lacks the power. I sent for Poppy Pomfrey to tend to them both. Your son will be fine, I instructed Potter to have Draco help him heal Hermione when he wakes. I left Black to watch over them and keep them safe. He already adores Hermione and he doesn't seem to have any aversion to his young cousin. If he does, rest assured that Potter wouldn't let any harm come to him." The Dark Lord nodded.

"All will be well, Luciusss. Severusss cares for your ssson. He wouldn't leave him with someone that he thought would harm him." The blond sighed in relief before turning back to the situation at hand. Severus watched his father step up to the front of the room so he could speak.

"My followersss, I can't say loyal at the moment, but followers will cover it. I ssspecifically told you all that you were not to harm the girl known as Hermione Granger, as she is my granddaughter, or Draco Malfoy or Harry Potter. She is the sssubject of a prophecy, as are those two boysss. You were warned, and sssome of you failed to heed those warnings." He began to pace in front of the group at large, his voice getting louder as he continued. Dolohov was still on the floor before them, struggling against the bindings that Lucius had placed on him.

"Bellatrix sssneaked into young Draco'sss room and tortured him all night long for allowing my blood to sssully his name. Draco was strong, he refused to tell Bellatrix what she wanted, he refusssed to renounce my blood. You were all taken to his room to see just what exactly my granddaughter is capable of. She did all of that to Bellatrix without a wand sssimply because she hurt her mate. I suggest that from now on, you heed my warning. Bellatrix was one of my ssstrongest followersss and she didn't stand a chance against my sssixteen-year-old Isabella Rose." The Dark Lord paused once again for effect.

"Now, Dolohov here had arrived on the scene with Rabassstan and Rodolphus to protect dear Bella. You all watched as the Lestrangesss were dealt with by me. Dolohov, however, is Ssseverus' to deal with as he sees fit. Antonin used one of his signature curses and tried to kill young Draco. My granddaughter is bound to protect her matesss, so she willingly cast herself in front of the curssse. She is on the cusp of death right now and it is Severus' right to deal with Antonin as he sssees fit. I want all of you to know that this will happen to anyone who daresss to harm my granddaughter in any way again." He turned to Severus and swept his arm out.

"Please begin, ssson."

Severus stepped forward and he could see the fear in Dolohov's eyes. Severus didn't care. He remembered every detail of the attack in Draco's bedroom, he played Hermione throwing herself in front of the curse repeatedly in his head. He kept the sight of her split open chest in the forefront of his mind to give his curses more power. While he usually hated torturing people, this was going to be an exception. Nobody touched his daughter and got away with it unscathed.

Severus raised his wand, took a deep breath, and let the first curse fly.

-O-

Sirius didn't know what to do to make Harry feel better. He knew that he had made the right decision in making Harry stay home, but he felt terrible that he was now suffering because of the injuries that Hermione and Draco Malfoy had sustained. Sirius loved Hermione like a daughter, he truly couldn't imagine how Severus was feeling now.

Since they had been locked up in Grimmauld Place together for the holidays, Sirius could admit that Severus wasn't nearly as bad as he had always assumed him to be. He obviously loved his daughter without limit and it was clear that he would do anything for her. He strongly suspected that the gruesome torture and death of Dolohov was one of the things that he was doing to keep her safe.

While Remus didn't completely understand the concept of how the followers of the Dark Lord worked, Sirius did. He had been raised with it, he had been trained from birth that he was supposed to obey all orders and not complain. If you did wrong, you were humiliated and punished publicly. Sirius had lost count of how many times he had been hauled to some pureblood party as a child and tortured as a form of entertainment. He didn't think that Severus liked torturing people in general, but he had a feeling that he would get a sick sense of enjoyment out of Dolohov meeting his end.

Sirius wasn't any better. He loved Hermione desperately, she was the only reason he wasn't sitting in Azkaban with his soul sucked out. She was the reason that Dumbledore had finally come clean to the Ministry about who had really been the secret keeper to the Potter's home that fateful night in 1981. If Severus hadn't been wiling to teach the man a lesson, Sirius would have loved to. While he didn't think that he was a dark wizard in the least, the animagus could fully admit that he had a dark streak. He was a Black after all, they were known for being dark in nature and their signature insanity.

Sirius watched on helplessly as Harry went from side to side of the bed, checking over Hermione, making sure that she was comfortable and that she hadn't rolled, then checking over Draco, making sure that the words were fading from his chest and reassuring himself that the whip marks were slowly disappearing. Sirius felt sick at the Poppy's words. While Draco had been whipped and carved up like a Christmas ham, he hadn't had it done so with a cursed object. Most of his scars would fade with the potions that Severus had sent for them. Hermione, however, had been hit with an extremely dark curse that was resistant to normal scar potions.

While Sirius did consider himself a connoisseur of women, he did not prey on young girls. Well, he supposed that he did in his youth, but now that he was older, he didn't find the youth his godson's age to be sexually attractive. While he felt that Hermione was a very attractive girl, especially now that she had her true appearance, he did not find her sexy at all. Poppy had thrown a fit when she tried to heal Hermione's chest and Sirius refused to leave. After almost ten minutes of arguing back and forth, Remus agreed to leave if Sirius could stay. Sirius had no reason to anger Severus by leaving when it was clear that he had blood lust on the brain.

The mediwitch had removed Hermione's bra, baring her chest to the whoever was in the room. Harry had flat out refused to leave, told everyone that he had seen Hermione's breasts more times than he could count. Sirius had to chuckle inwardly at his admission; the girl in question might just hex him for revealing just what exactly they did in their private life. The wound was long, from the top of her left breast to the top of her right hip. Poppy had done everything that she could think of to heal it, but there was nothing for it. It was going to leave a horrid, ropy scar. Sirius could only hope that Severus may be able to lessen the mark with dark magic that he had learned along the way.

Poppy had left an hour ago after teaching Sirius how to spell potions directly into a person's stomach. She predicted that it could be a few days before Hermione woke, all dependent on how quickly she healed. After she had gone, the animagus had made Harry explain what healing he and Draco were supposed to perform on Hermione. While he found the whole concept unbelievable, he didn't think that Harry would lie, nor would Severus ask them to do it if it didn't work. He felt like he had underestimated the bond between the three children in front of him.

Remus had dozed off next to him, keeping a vigil just like he had promised Severus that they would. All the Weasleys had paid them a visit, they were in the library after all. The twins and Ginny seemed genuinely worried for Hermione and Draco, the little Lovegood girl as well. The other three boys had expressed their concern but were able to easily go back to their lives from before it had happened. Arthur had stayed for almost an hour, truly worried about how Hermione was faring. Sirius supposed that what surprised him the most was that the three Weasleys that Harry and Hermione seemed closest to were also what he would consider friends with Draco. He could admit that he had been skeptical when he had first heard of the pair's friendship/relationship with his cousin but seeing that he had won over even part of the Weasleys made him think that he needed to reconsider his opinion.

Sirius had just leaned back further in his chair and gotten comfortable when the door to the library opened quietly. Harry was fussing with the sheets around Draco, expelling nervous energy that simply had nowhere to go. Severus had come through the door, a haggard look on his face with his frock coat spattered in blood and gore. Sirius couldn't remember a time when he had ever seen the man look so tired.

"How did it go with Dolohov?" Severus produced his wand and waved it over himself, cleaning him of everything that was undesirable. He didn't speak as he made his way to both Hermione and Draco, checking them over as best he could. His shoulders slumped when he finally answered.

"Dolohov is dead. I doubt that anyone with a Dark Mark will ever harm these three again." Sirius could see guilt in his lowered head and soft tone. While comforting Severus Snape was something he had never done, the animagus really did want to turn a new leaf. He stood and walked over to where the man was leaned over his daughter.

"Did you make him suffer?" The Slytherin snorted.

"Suffer is an understatement." Sirius clapped him on the arm.

"We know you don't like doing that. You did what you had to to keep these three safe. I know it's easier said than done, but you shouldn't feel guilty." Severus snorted before he began laughing.

"That's just it, I did enjoy it. That rat-fuck bastard tried to kill my godson and, in the process, almost killed my daughter. The two people that I am bound to protect. I enjoyed every moment of pain I gave him, and I would do it all over again if I could." Sirius snorted this time.

"Join the club, mate. If you hadn't been willing to teach that scum a lesson, I wanted the job. Hermione is like my daughter, she freed me from Hogwarts and I'm free from persecution all because of her. If it hadn't been you, I would have been doing it. Now stop feeling like you're evil and all that rot. You're protecting your daughter and two boys that mean the world to you. Enough feeling sorry for yourself." Severus snorted again, his hair was hanging around his face like a curtain, so Sirius couldn't see exactly what it was that was flitting across his face. Finally, he wiped a hand down his face before he stood up straight.

"You're right. What did Poppy say?" Sirius was quick to fill him in, told him about the scar that would remain across Hermione's chest, that it would likely be several days before she woke, that Poppy had predicted that Draco would wake by morning. The Slytherin removed his frock coat and rolled up his sleeves, extending his wand, when Sirius stopped him.

"You need to rest before you try any intensive healing. You just tortured someone after a pretty grueling duel this morning. You need to recharge your magic. Who knows what could happen if you tried something serious while you're exhausted. Take a nap and try in a couple of hours." Severus dropped his arm and nodded dejectedly. The Slytherin pulled a chair away from the wall and dragged it up next to Hermione's side of the bed so Harry took up the spot next to Draco.

Sirius returned to his seat, stretched out his legs comfortably, shook his head at the fact that Remus could sleep through absolutely everything, and let Morpheus coax him into his care.

A/N- Errr Mrrr Gerddddd! I did not foresee this chapter being this long, it just kind of happened. I even tried to pare it down a little, but I just couldn't bear to. I hope you all enjoyed it and are no longer angry with me for the cliffhanger. I made up for it, didn't I? Anyways, leave me your thoughts, they keep me going and make me smile (((:

Next chapter, Hermione wakes up and deals with the aftermath of her assault on Bellatrix and a date for retrieving the horcrux is set.

Love,

Alicia


	25. Chapter 25

A/N- My laws, y'alls support and feedback on this story is just awesome. Y'all are the bomb diggity. Your reviews and support are seriously what keep me writing. For those out there that voted for me in the Haven Awards 2018, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I didn't win, but I would like to congratulate those that did. It means the world to me that I was even elected, let alone made it to the finals. Anyways, enough of this business, we all know that all of you want to hear the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Nothing about this story belongs to me aside from the specific twist on the story line. The rest belongs to J.K.R. or fanfiction writers that came before me. I haven't made a knut of this story or any others.

Chapter 25

December 28, 1995

Lucius Malfoy liked to think that he was a man that could separate family from business. He had always been able to in the past, keeping his work frustrations from affecting his family and vice versa. However, after Draco had been tortured by his crazed sister-in-law, this just wasn't so. The family accounts needed tending daily, holidays excluded of course, but Lucius had been at his wits end for the past two days.

While the blond knew that Severus would never allow harm to come to Draco, the fact that he wasn't able to check on his son's condition, he wasn't able to walk to his room and see what he was doing, it bothered him. He was worried out of his mind, his son had been tortured for almost twelve hours by the darkest of his lord's followers, and he had yet to hear from him. Lucius knew that the Dark Lord had said that Draco would survive, but until he heard from his son personally, he still couldn't help but fear the worst.

Lucius was able to keep his anxiety hidden. The Dark Lord already knew the depth of love that he had for his son and Severus suspected it. The others, however, didn't know and if they did, it would be perceived as a weakness. Sure, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Parkinson, and Greengrass all had children the same age as Draco, but their parents didn't seem to care for them to the level that Lucius cared for Draco. Well, that he knew of. For all he knew, they could have been hiding it as well, afraid of being weak. Whichever it was, it truly didn't matter.

Lucius was as immaculate as ever. This could not be said for Narcissa. His wife had not been aware of what had occurred in her son's bedroom until hours after Severus had left. She had been devastated that her own sister would act that way towards her nephew and she was worried sick about Draco. Lucius had had to dodge several hexes from his wife's wand because he hadn't told her before Draco had been taken to Grimmauld Place. She had wanted to check on his condition and say goodbye. He had tried to explain that their son hadn't even been conscious, that he couldn't say goodbye, but that had just resulted in having a priceless Ming vase thrown at his head. As angry as her actions made him, he understood her frustrations. He felt the same way.

The only comfort that he had in the whole situation was that Bellatrix was dead. Isabella Riddle had made damn sure that the bitch had suffered before she died too. Lucius wasn't entirely sure as to what to call the girl that would surely be his daughter-in-law. He knew that her grandfather called her Isabella, but everyone else that knew her still called her Hermione. He supposed that he would call her whatever Draco called her when they were in a private setting and he could call her Isabella when her grandfather was present.

Lucius was secretly pleased that Hermione Granger had turned out to be who she was. While he had never liked her because of her inferior blood, he had always been able to admit that she would have been perfect for Draco. His son needed a witch that could match him mentally, not just twitch her hips at him and have him drooling. Severus' daughter was now not only the most brilliant witch at Hogwarts, she was assuredly the most beautiful. Nobody could ever say that Severus was an attractive man, but when his genes mixed with Alexandra Nott's, the outcome was a glorious specimen. When she reproduced with Draco, even Potter for that matter, their children would be the equal to none.

He wasn't completely happy with the fact that Draco mating with this girl would lose the Malfoys their standing in the Sacred 28. He was also a practical man and seen the level of power that the girl was capable of, had heard the prophecy regarding her children. Only a fool wouldn't welcome her into their family with open arms. It was this fact that had prompted him to speak with Draco about his mate.

Lucius was all too aware of the fact that the Dark Lord seemed to be a bit more mad than he had been when he had been vanquished in the first war. Lucius had always believed they should keep muggles and muggleborns alike as servants, slaves if you will, but the Dark Lord wouldn't hear of it. There had been a muggleborn that he had wanted to save, though nobody ever knew of his wishes. That was precisely the way he hoped to keep it.

In truth, Lucius had found a muggleborn witch that caught his fancy just two months after Narcissa discovered that she was pregnant. He loved his wife but was by no means in love her. They had struck a deal when they married. When they married, they would only sleep with each other until an heir was conceived. Once the Malfoy heir had been announced to their world, they were able to go their separate ways and they could both take lovers as they chose as long as they were discreet.

Narcissa had just announced her pregnancy to their world when he met Mara. She had been a fiery Gryffindor, a muggleborn, several years behind him, she had been in her seventh year of schooling in fact. Lucius had met her at Flourish and Blotts and they had fought over the last copy of the same book. She had been so bloody smart and smart-mouthed, that he had wanted to throttle her. It had almost come to blows, but in the end, he had settle for snogging her.

They had started a full-blown affair. It had lasted six months, six glorious months, and they were the best in his life. He wasn't sure that he loved her, but there had been strong feelings that he hadn't felt with any of the other witches in his life. He never stuck with just one partner, not since Narcissa had become pregnant, but he couldn't find the passion in anyone else that he had found in Mara.

It had all ended just a few days before Draco had been born. Mara had discovered that he was a Death Eater, he had forgotten to disillusion his Mark one day when they had hooked up at the Leaky Cauldron. Mara had lost her mind, ranting, raving and screaming at him at how stupid he was, how bigoted he was. It had hurt him at first, that she would think such things of him, but in the end, he realized that she was right. As strong as his feelings for her were, he had never once considered reproducing with her. He never once felt that any offspring he might have had with Mara would have been equal to those he produced with Narcissa.

The argument had been epic. Lucius had said a lot of things that he knew he didn't mean while she had said plenty that she did mean. It ended between them and though Lucius had been heartbroken, he had shrugged it off. Until four days later, anyways, when the Dark Lord had raided her home and captured not only Mara but her mother and sister as well.

He had been forced to rape and torture Mara's sister in front of her while she begged for him to stop, begged for him to take her in their stead. While he knew that he cared for the girl, he knew that he could never grant her request. Her last moments had been spent being raped by Antonin Dolohov. Lucius had been torn apart at what she had been forced to endure. She had kept eye contact the whole time Dolohov had been riding her, tears streaming down her cheeks into her ears, silently begging him for help. He didn't dare help or endanger Narcissa and Draco. It had been a relief when Dolohov had finally grown tired of her and AK'd her.

Narcissa had known that there was something wrong, but she had never questioned him. He stayed out of her business and she stayed out of his. He knew it wasn't the kind of marriage that he had wanted growing up, but it was what he had gotten. He had grieved for almost a year, and after swearing that he would never condemn his son for loving a muggleborn if that was what happened, he had finally moved on. It had been painful, true, but he had managed.

Now, Lucius found himself in the position that he had always promised himself that he would never condemn Draco for. He was in love with a witch that wasn't of pure blood. Lucius had suspected it long ago, but it hadn't been certain. Not until the Dark Lord had announced that his granddaughter was seeing his son. While his son's choice in less than pure blood made him unhappy, he would stick by his word and support him regardless.

Lucius was drawn from his thoughts by an own pecking on the window of his personal study. He waved his wand and opened it, a gust of wind floating the owl in, so it could rest on his desk long enough for the Slytherin to take the letter offered. Once he detached it, he told the owl to go down to the kitchen so he could get a treat from the head kitchen elf Nono. When he opened the letter, his heart lifted instantly when he saw that it was from Draco. Without a second thought, Lucius ripped open the letter and began to read.

 _Mother and Father,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. I have had better days, but it isn't my worst either. I have been awake a day. As soon as I woke, Harry was shoving potions down my throat and fussing over me as much as Madam Pomfrey would have been. You should be happy with my care, it's been equal parts of arguing with Harry to let me out of bed and taking disgusting potions that Severus ensures me will lessen the scars caused by that crazy bitch Bellatrix._

 _Just an hour after waking, Harry asked me to join him and attempt to heal Hermione in the same way that she and Harry healed me. While I feel that we didn't really do anything of importance, her scars did lesson just a tiny bit after we worked on her. I suppose it had just been too long since she had been injured for us to do anything more. Harry, Severus, Sirius and Remus all seemed pleased with the result, but I feel as if we could have done better._

 _While Madam Pomfrey has given me a clean bill of health thanks to the potions that Severus had them give me, Hermione has yet to awaken. At first it didn't bother me, it was expected, you know? Now, I can't help but worry that she hasn't woken yet because her injury is far too serious, and she simply isn't going to. I try to brush these thoughts aside, but it's far more difficult to do than I ever imagined._

 _I have nothing else of import to report. Hermione hasn't wakened, but everyone in the household seems to be treating my existence here well. The twins and Ginny Weasley seemed worried about me, almost as if I was their friend. The other Weasleys have been passable. My cousin, Sirius Black, and our ex-professor Remus Lupin have seemed to take me in under their wing, almost as if I was one of their cubs. It's been very disconcerting, but Harry tells me that allowing them this behavior makes them happy. While it does make me just a tad bit nervous, I will do my best to keep my discomfort hidden._

 _I suppose I will go for now, so I can take a nap. While Madam Pomfrey says that I am healed, I find myself exhausted in the afternoons. I must get my sleep if I am to be awake for Hermione's awakening._

 _I love you,_

 _Draco._

Lucius, while thrilled that he had heard from his son, was saddened to hear that Severus' daughter hadn't. He knew that she had had a curse cast upon her that was of Dolohov's own making, refusing the counter curse even upon death and dismemberment. That meant that while Lucius was now rejoicing, his friend was still grieving. He vowed to do everything he could to ensure that life would be the easier he could hope for while at holiday. He would ensure it.

Severus was, after all, his best friend.

-O-

Harry was miserable. While he knew that Draco had awoken late on Boxing Day, confused as to exactly where he was, he also knew that Hermione was still unconscious without a definite end in sight. Madam Pomfrey had told them that it could be several days before she woke. Harry had tried to heal her one more time while everyone was asleep, hoping that he had just been too nervous to accomplish it, but that had not been the case. He simply hadn't been strong enough.

That alone was a horrifying and sobering thought.

Harry had waited hours for Draco to wake up. His scars had healed quickly, leaving behind only thin marks that were barely visible. When he had finally come around, he had been more than confused, thinking that he had still been in his room at Malfoy Manor. Harry had tried to explain, only for the blond to argue with him. It had taken Severus to get the situation under control, to where Draco had believed everything that Harry had told him.

He still couldn't believe that Hermione was alive. Harry had been sure that she was going to die; after all, everyone had made clear that the girl wouldn't live if her father didn't do his best to stop the curse in the stead of himself and Draco. Staying the curse had worked admirably, even Harry could admit that. While Hermione hadn't gotten any better, she also hadn't gotten any worse. Therefore, when Draco had been awake and aware for more than a couple of hours, he had made sure that the Slytherin knew just what was at stake.

Draco had been quick to agree that they needed other help on hand. Just having their trio and Severus didn't seem to be enough. Harry knew that Albus was one of the most powerful wizards of the world, but he would never agree to Dumbledore being relegated to the end of the decision-making process. It was decided in the end that Hermione would remain as she was, to retake her spot in the decision-making skills of their group.

It had now been two full days since Hermione had been ensconced in the library, not regaining consciousness in the least. Draco had woken late the night of the 26th, only to find Harry, Severus, Sirius, and Remus. Even though Draco had been nervous, he knew that nobody there would hurt him if for no other reason than he was there at Harry and Severus' request. Harry had made sure that he was alright, right after Severus had done so, and then requested that he did all he could to help heal Hermione with him.

*Flashback*

Harry pulled Draco over to Hermione's side, hoping that the closeness between the two would boost the power. He knew that hoping for the healing effect that he had shared with Hermione was a longshot, but he had to hope for something positive.

He had already informed Draco that they would need to perform the spell, per the Dark Lord, if she was to survive. While he was sure that they would be able to, he was still extremely nervous, Draco had only been awake for a couple of hours, most of his time being spent being checked over by Severus. Harry could tell that the older Slytherin was thrilled at the aspect of his godson waking up, he was still heartbroken that Hermione had remained unchanged.

"You have to help me heal her, just like we healed you after Nott cursed you." Draco gave him a wide-eyed stare, almost as if he was nervous about the whole situation, but he nodded bravely.

Harry took the lead and laid his hands-on Hermione's bare chest. She had had a light sheet over her chest, covering her wounds for modesty's sake. Harry didn't adhere to the sheets and the limits that they imposed on everyone else. After shoving them down with little to no compunction, Draco joined him with his hands on her wounds.

Professor Snape had done his best to heal the wide wound on her chest, he had worked for hours on the endeavor. However, there just wasn't much that either could do to ensure Hermione to be scar-free. The only chance that she had to heal the wound was with Harry and Draco both working their magic on her wound.

The magic between them hummed dangerously, something that it had never done before. Harry wasn't nervous or afraid of the magic, he was only hopeful that it would do as he wished and heal the love of his life. Draco, while he didn't vocalize any of his wishes, could be felt through the bond trying to coax the magic between them alive.

In the long run, it had worked. While her scar hadn't disappeared completely, it had lessened in severity. It was no longer raised and ropy, but a faded white that was flush with her skin. It wasn't gone, but it was much easier on the eyes. While Harry didn't care about the scar, he had a feeling that Hermione would.

All they could do was sit back, wait for her to wake up, and see how she felt about it.

*End of Flashback*

The wound that Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape had both worked so hard to heal had finally closed. It had been an ongoing worry between the group at large that the wound on Hermione's chest wouldn't heal and she would slowly die because she didn't stop seeping blood for even a moment. When he and Draco had concluded their healing session, Harry had breathed a sigh of relief that matched that of her father, Sirius, and Remus.

Since both older Gryffindors didn't seem to understand just what was happening between the three of them, Professor Snape had done his best to try to explain. Both the animagus and the wolf had seemed disbelieving at first but had slowly come to grips with the truth when they saw just what their healing spell had done to the girl in the bed. It was quite clear that they were still in shock about the whole situation, but it was what is was.

Ginny, Luna, and the twins had spent several hours a day in the library since Hermione and Draco had appeared injured. Harry was unsure of their true motive, but since it was the three Weasleys that he considered true friends, he hoped that their intentions were as pure as he perceived them to be. The rest of the Weasleys, though they asked about Hermione every time they entered the library, didn't seem to be truly put out at their injuries. Molly made snide little comments about the position that Hermione had found herself in, comments that made Harry and Draco both want to hex her until she couldn't speak again.

It was Arthur that finally brought the smart comments to an end. Harry and Draco had both witnessed the Weasley patriarch losing his calm façade and telling his wife that if she continued her path, she would see them kicked out of Order Headquarters with no invitation to return. While Harry didn't think that Arthur would be too upset if he missed a meeting, he had no problems using it against his wife to insure her silence on the matter.

Once Draco woke, Ron had stayed clear of the library, almost as if he knew that he would most likely be hexed on sight due to his past comments. Harry didn't mind, in fact, he enjoyed the hours on end after he and Draco had done their best to heal Hermione where they weren't bothered by the troublesome redhead. None of the adults seemed to mind his lack of presence either.

Harry turned his thoughts to the chess game at hand. Draco was a far better opponent than Ronald had ever hoped to be. While he hadn't even been a match for Ronald, he couldn't help but be just a slight bit embarrassed by the fact that Draco was whipping him without a second thought. It was while the blond had been concentrating on his next move that Harry realized that there was a slight movement on the bed next to them. He didn't want to get anyone overly excited if it was a false alarm, therefore, he kept quiet but kept his eye turned to the love of his life.

It was with a quiet gasp of surprise that he alerted everyone to the fact that Hermione now had her eyes opened and she was staring directly at them.

-O-

All Hermione knew was pain. The Gryffindor had never experienced this level of plain, and to be frank, she never hoped to experience it again. The pain originated from her chest, but she was unsure as to why. Hermione began wracking her brain, trying to discover the reason as to why she hurt so badly. Just when she was sure that there was no way that she could possibly remember just why she hurt so badly, her memory from Draco's room resurfaced.

Hermione had no idea just how much time had passed since she had saved Draco from the clutches of Bellatrix, but she was hopeful that her actions had done exactly as they were supposed to have done and saved him. She realized out of nowhere that her father must be very disappointed in her since she had killed Bellatrix.

Sweet Merlin, she had killed Bellatrix Lestrange. She had not only killed the dark witch, she had tortured her. What kind of person did that make her? How much evil did it take in a person for them to resort to the kinds of things that Hermione had? Suddenly, she worried that not only would her father be disappointed in her, but Harry and Draco would be as well. Her mind then drifted to Sirius and Remus and their reactions and her self-hatred was complete.

Despite the pain, Hermione gathered all the strength that she could muster so she could open her eyes. She had been aware of voices in the room with her, mostly Harry, Draco, Severus, Sirius, and Remus, but there had been others mixed in here and there. Once her eyes were opened, she realized that Harry and Draco were playing wizards chess on a table next to her bed while the three adults that had hardly left the room were reading quietly to themselves in the corner of the library. It took several moments for anyone to realize that she had awoken, but when they did, Harry leapt out of his seat.

"Holy fuck, 'Mi!" Everyone turned to his voice and Hermione was eager to see the expressions that graced the faces of her closest family and friends regarding her. To her complete and utter surprise, there was only relief.

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione, you gave us quite the scare." It was Remus that broke the silence that had fallen in the room. While Hermione wanted to respond, a frog leapt up in her throat, making it impossible for her to speak. Draco crawled on the bed next to her while Harry stood next to her side, his fingers entwined with hers. Her eyes weren't for them; they were only for her father.

"Do you hate me, Daddy?" A look of disbelief crossed his features as he stood to make his way to her side. Harry fell to the wayside easily, he seemed to sense that the conversation between father and daughter needed to take place. Her father took Harry's place and brushed hair back from her forehead.

"Why would I hate you, sweet one?" Hermione tried to control the tremulous waver of her voice, but it was just so bloody hard.

"I disappointed you, don't tell me that I didn't." Severus gave her a soft smile.

"I'm disappointed you weren't there to see how it all ended, sweet. I'm not disappointed in your actions at all." Hermione knew she sounded pathetic and she hated it. As much as she hated it though, she needed the reassurance that her father didn't hate her.

"Really?" He nodded solemnly and for the first time since she had opened her eyes, the pain in her chest seemed to lessen just a tiny bit. Hermione couldn't quite believe that her father wasn't disappointed in her when she had exhibited the same traits that he hated with a passion in her grandfather.

The details of that morning flooded back to her, the way Bellatrix had looked, the sounds of her screams, the visual of her chest exploding and the heat of the blood and gore from the witch that had covered herself and Draco. She had done that, she had caused that pain and destruction. How was she any better than her grandfather, the very evil that she had sworn to defeat? Severus must not have told anyone what happened because everyone was still looking at her like they were exceedingly worried about her.

Just as Hermione had decided that the others must not know, that they couldn't possibly know, Draco squeezed her hand from her side on the bed. She turned to look his way and saw nothing but love and acceptance there, something that frightened her. She didn't deserve his love, she didn't deserve his kindness, she was a monster just like Voldemort. If anything, Hermione deserved everyone's hatred. Her father seemed to sense where her thoughts had gone so he grasped her hand tightly in his and forced her to meet his eyes.

"You have no reason to feel guilty. You protected Draco just as I would have protected you. Am I evil because I would have done whatever it took to save you?" She gave him an affronted look.

"Of course not, you're not evil at all, you don't want to hurt anyone." Her father graced her with a small smile.

"I know, I don't. Neither do you, so why are you held to different standards than myself?"

Hermione didn't have an answer. She contemplated the question that her father asked her for more than a few moments, trying to decide if there was a correct answer. When she came up with nothing, her father turned solemn once more.

"I killed him, you know. I tortured him for over four hours, peeled his flesh from his bones, broke every bone is in his body, extracted every internal organ aside from his lungs and heart from his body while he was still alive, before I granted him death. The other Death Eaters are suitably terrified of me, terrified of hurting you and your mates. I swore that I would never call the Dark Lord my father, and I did. I fell to my knees, thanked him for the opportunity to avenge your injuries, kissed his robes, and enjoyed every second of it. If you can't find my actions reprehensible, then you can't find your own to be the same." Hermione still wanted to argue, she had tortured and killed a woman after all, but how could she when what her father admitted would put him in the same hideous category as herself. Therefore, she could only nod and admit that her father had a point. While she found her own actions to be abhorrent, she didn't find his to be so. She could only chalk it up to matter of intent. The Gryffindor decided to table her guilty feelings and see how she felt about them in a few months' time; maybe then she could view the situation with perspective. When she spoke again, it was to the room at large.

"What happened after I killed Bellatrix?" Harry went around the bed, so he could sit next to Draco on top of the bed while Severus took a seat next to her on the chair. He smoothed his robes nervously before he answered.

"Bellatrix had just exploded everywhere when Dolohov slipped past me. Rodolphus and Rabastan had ganged up on me and had forced my hand. It was either twist and leave an opening into the room or die. Dying wasn't an option so the result was what we have before us now." Her father sighed.

"Dolohov slipped by me and rather than go after you like I thought he would, he shot a curse at Draco, trying to kill him. I was confused at first, but there was nothing I could do about it at the time. I let my anger take hold and I stopped Rodolphus and Rabastan in their tracks. My father then stopped me from harming Dolohov; I had instantly wanted to kill him with no thought to the recourse. He immobilized me and explained to me the benefits of waiting to make quite the impression amongst your peers.

Voldemort allowed me to bring you back here to Headquarters with Draco, telling us exactly what we needed to do to keep you alive. I followed his instructions to the letter. I went back to Malfoy Manor and tortured and killed Dolohov while Potter waited for Draco to wake up. Once Draco awoke, he and Potter performed the same healing on you that you both performed on Draco. You had already stabilized, but it did lessen your scar somewhat." A look of horror crossed Hermione's face. She hadn't even considered the idea of a scar on either her or Draco. How terrible were they?

Suddenly, she had to see for herself. Hermione pulled the front of her gown forward, so she could gaze down the front of her shirt. What she saw horrified her. The scar started at the top of her left breast and ended at the top of her right hip. While it was white in color, as if it were several years old, it was long, wide, and ugly. She had no idea what it had looked like before the healing and she wasn't sure that she wanted to know.

How was she supposed to have this scar in a boarding school and not have questions asked of her? True, she didn't stay in Gryffindor Tower with Lavender and Parvati now, but that wasn't saying that she never would again. While she wasn't that keen about changing in front of other people, this would be near impossible to hide since it would show if she wore the wrong shirt. Hermione didn't wear promiscuous clothing, but she wasn't going to say that she never would. Nobody knew what the future held. Both of her boys were going to find this scar horrid, ugly, and surely, they wouldn't want to stare at it for the rest of their lives. As if realizing her train of thought, Harry and Draco scooted closer. Harry took her hand and squeezed it, making her meet his gaze.

"Quit thinking like that. Draco and I have both seen your scar. Neither one of us care what it looks like, neither one of us thinks that it makes you ugly. We think it makes you look like a warrior goddess. Please don't start looking at yourself like you're ugly." Hermione couldn't believe that she was that easy to read. She met both the boy's eyes before she looked down shamefaced.

"You both deserve someone that's whole, someone that isn't forever blemished by dark magic. I'm sure that you both want to say that I'm still beautiful. This is me giving you the chance to back out with no recourse, no hard feelings. You both deserve someone that's beautiful on the inside and out." Harry handed her a pain potion, almost as if he thought that the words coming out of her mouth were due to overwhelming pain. She tipped the vial up into her mouth and while the pain did indeed lessen, it did not fade.

"I'll have you know, Hermione Jean, that we are with a girl that is beautiful on the inside as well as the out. We don't see any ugly scar, we see a badge of honor that you received while fighting for your mate's life. Stop this business, we won't have you feeling like you aren't good enough any longer. If anything, it's you that are too good for the both of us."

Even though Hermione couldn't help but feel ugly in the situation that she found herself in, she nodded. She really didn't want to fight with either boys, and if they both wanted to stay with her despite her scars, she wasn't going to complain. After a small smile, both boys pulled her in close carefully, wanting to be close but far too scared to hurt her by being rough. She didn't care though. She wanted to feel close to them and she wanted to feel like there was a sense of normalcy in her life. It was when they pulled away that she felt that she needed to get the full scope of things.

"How injured was I? I am still in quite a bit of pain, how long will that last?" Neither of her mates or her father seemed to want to answer her question, so she assumed that she wouldn't like the answer. It was Sirius that finally answered the question and when he did, he sounded extremely sad.

"You almost died, Poppet. Poppy gave you a dozen different potions and even that didn't guarantee your survival. We didn't even expect you to wake up until tomorrow. You've seen your scar. Whatever the curse was the Dolohov hit you with, it was custom. He confessed under the duress of torture that he had designed it to kill its victim slowly, slowly seeping the blood from a massive wound. Your wound appeared on your chest. He never designed a counter curse since he didn't believe in saving people, but in murdering them." Hermione gave a nod at her uncle's words.

"How long will it be until I'm well again? I understand that I'll always have a scar, but how long until I feel like I can roll over in bed without wanting to hurl from the pain?" Remus chimed in this time.

"Poppy couldn't say for sure, Mina. She suspected that it's different for everybody that's hit, depending on where they're hit and so forth. You took the hit directly to the chest and for that reason, she suspects that you'll be taking several potions for at least the next month. She isn't entirely sure when you'll be out of pain completely." This was not the good news that Hermione wanted to hear. A month? How was she going to hide the fact that she was taking a dozen potions a day once she returned to school? Sure, she could take some of them at night while in the Room of Requirement, but what about the pain potion? If she took that during class, or even between classes, someone was sure to notice and question her. The last thing that they needed right now was suspicion from others in the school. Severus seemed to understand her line of thinking.

"We'll cast a notice-me-not spell on the potions that you can't take in the privacy of the Room. Nobody will even notice, and if they do, they'll take about as much interest in it as they would in dissecting a flobberworm." She gave her father a faint smile before she settled back into the pillows behind her. Draco set about rearranging them, fluffing them so she would be comfortable, when there was a light rap on the door. Sirius stood quickly to open the door, revealing a very flamboyant Albus Dumbledore. His bright purple robes dotted with stars stood out in a crowd from two kilometers.

"Ahh, Miss Granger, I see you have woken. I am happy to see you on this side of the living." Hermione wanted to laugh in his face. If it weren't for the fight with Voldemort, she very much knew that the Headmaster would love to see her dead if for no other reason than it would protect his secrets. Instead of making a scene and seeming churlish, she gave a brief nod.

"Thank you, Headmaster. I'm happy to be among the living." His grandfatherly gaze twinkled, and Hermione wanted to barf. She refrained, however, and decided to get to the point.

"What can I help you with, Headmaster?" He took one of the seats next to Remus and Sirius, both looking distinctly uncomfortable at the proximity of which he sat. The Headmaster smiled serenely and folded his hands in his lap.

"I wonder if I could answer that question in privacy?" Hermione instantly knew that the conversation would turn to horcruxes, so the Headmaster would naturally want both Remus and Sirius to leave. She wasn't going to ask the men to leave; she trusted them and didn't think that they would betray their confidence for all the gold in the world. The Headmaster, however, had no such compunction.

"Could I ask both Remus and Sirius to give us a few moments of privacy?" Both men looked distinctly unhappy and cursed quite a bit under their breaths, but they finally stood and made their way out of the library. She had no doubts that they would all be questioned ruthlessly once the Headmaster left. Once the two men were gone and silencing charms and wards around the door were cast, Dumbledore spoke.

"I understand that you're injured, but we must carry on with the plan that was already set up. Your holiday would be the best time for us to flesh out one of his horcruxes. I want to take both Harry and Draco in three days' time and try to retrieve the object." Hermione was already shaking her head no. There was no way in blue fucking hell that she was going to allow both her mates to go with her scheming Headmaster all on their own. She didn't trust the old man any further than she could throw him.

"Absolutely not. They aren't going with you until I am able to go. No offense, Headmaster, but I don't trust you any further than I can throw you, and believe me, that wouldn't be very far." Dumbledore did his best to pull off looking offended and hurt at her words. Hermione wasn't having any of it. She leaned forward and made sure that the Headmaster met her eyes.

"What have you done to make me trust you? Kidnapped me, bound my magic, lied to me for years, kept one of the men that I love in an abusive home, made my father give you an Unbreakable Vow securing his loyalty, and let my uncle spend twelve years in Azkaban that were completely unnecessary. Keep that wounded look to yourself, it doesn't suit you." The grandfatherly look disappeared, and Dumbledore gave her a hard look.

"As much as you may disapprove of what our plans need to be, the fact remains that it must occur while you are on holiday. While I could sneak you out during term time, it would be much more difficult to explain why any of you were off school grounds if something happened or if we were caught. Therefore, this must happen now." Hermione knew that he was right, but that didn't mean that she had to like it.

"Fine. If you're still going on this mission, you're taking my Dad with you." Her fury spiked when the Headmaster shook his head no.

"We can't. To where we travel, space is limited. Two full grown wizards and two children wouldn't be allowed to pass. Not to mention who knows what would happen if Severus was summoned and unable to go to his father's side. The whole gig would be up if he decided that his son was hiding something from him and he tortured the information out of Severus. Sending him on our mission, even if he could get through with so many of us, would be irresponsible." Hermione cursed inwardly. She knew that the Headmaster was correct once more, but there was nothing that she could do about it. The Gryffindor would simply have to accept the situation and make the best of it. Grudgingly, she nodded at the Headmaster.

"Fine. I'm warning you, Headmaster, no funny business. Everyone on my father's side knows what I'm capable of. Make no mistake that I will repeat my actions without remorse if my mates meet undue harm." The twinkling was back, and Hermione wanted to snap at the old man. Did he think that that look made people more at ease? If anything, it made her more nervous.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure that your mates come back to you alive and unharmed." Even though she could tell that he was patronizing her just a little, she decided to let it go. The last thing she wanted to be doing now was have a conversation with their esteemed Headmaster.

"When are you going?" Dumbledore raked his hand through his beard as he answered.

"In three days' time, the evening of New Year's Eve. Even if others were paying attention to our movements, they would be distracted since it's a holiday. I think that would be for the best." Hermione looked to both boys to see just what they thought of the situation. Both gave her a serious look before nodding just a fraction. She turned back to the Headmaster, eyes hard.

"Very well. We'll see you back here on the evening of New Year's." Dumbledore clapped his hands together happily and Hermione couldn't help but think that he seemed as if he was the cat that just got away with the canary.

The Headmaster seemed to notice her suspicion, so he quickly made his excuses, gave his well-wishes to Hermione and her health, and then made his way back to the castle. As soon as he was gone, the door swung open and both Remus and Sirius entered once more. Both men gave her a silent look before she sighed.

"I wish I could tell you both, but the mission is top secret. Dumbledore has been very clear that nobody is supposed to know." Sirius looked like he wanted to say something but thought twice about it. Instead, he let Remus speak.

"Is it dangerous?" Hermione and both her mates nodded but said nothing else. Sirius raked a hand through his hair before he sighed.

"I know that you're all a part of this war, but I hate that you're putting your lives on the line while nobody else is none the wiser." Hermione nodded.

"I understand. I just hope that you believe me when I say that we'll tell you as soon we're able." Both men smiled at her and nodded.

"We trust you, Poppet. You'll tell us when you're able." She didn't get a chance to respond because there were shouts outside the library. Remus sighed, as did Sirius. Both men rose and started for the door.

"The twins have been pranking Ron since you've been in here. We told them that if they got caught we would lie to Molly and vouch for them. I doubt she'll believe us, but we have to keep our end of the bargain." Hermione couldn't help but chuckle at their promise. Both men left, leaving Hermione with only her father and her two mates. Draco looked distinctly uncomfortable when he spoke.

"I've waited until Hermione woke to tell you all this." This caught everyone's attention and they gave the blond their undivided attention. He gave a slight shake before continuing.

"The day I got to the Manor at the beginning of the holiday, my father took me into his study. He's already deducted that Hermione isn't serious about her defection to the Dark Lord, he's positive that if Hermione isn't the real deal, then Harry isn't either." Hermione felt her blood run cold his words. It only took one person to blow their cover and then the gig would be up. She was running scenarios in her head, variables as to what could possibly happen if they were exposed, when Draco spoke again.

"He isn't going to expose you. When it comes down to it, he wanted to help us. He's realized that the Dark Lord is unhinged, that he's capable of truly terrible things. My father was very clear that he didn't regret any of the things he's done, he hasn't changed, but he's willing to admit that Hermione and Harry are what's best for the Malfoy name. As fucked up as my father is, he's always held family as his priority." Hermione considered his words carefully. It could go one of two ways. Lucius could be attempting to gain favor with her, hoping that if she did indeed side with the Dark Lord that he would be protected. A smart move if she did say so herself. The other possibility, the one she hated to consider, was that he was trying to set her up, so she would reveal herself in which he could alert the Dark Lord and gain favor. Either way could blow up in her face. Harry seemed to be considering the blonds words just as she was.

"What do you think his true intentions are, Drake? Do you think he's genuine or just trying to trap the mudblood that's going to sully his bloodline?" Draco considered her question carefully before answering.

"I think he's genuine. He knows that if he were to go to the Dark Lord, if he didn't die, I would have an extremely high chance of being killed. Like I said, he holds family dear. I think that if it came down to it, we could trust him." Her father spoke for the first time.

"I agree with Draco. I think that if Lucius had the stones to put words to his suspicion, he wouldn't dream of pissing you off. You now have the knowledge that he doesn't trust your words, something that he knows the Dark Lord would kill him for. All the Death Eaters have seen how your grandfather favors you. You killed his most loyal follower and he didn't bat an eye. He paraded everyone through Draco's room, so he could show them what would happen if they harmed your mates. He wouldn't take the chance of putting himself out there like that if he wasn't genuine." Hermione nodded slowly, taking the information in and processing it.

"Very well. We'll keep him on a list of people that we can trust if push comes to shove. I suggest that we don't tell the Headmaster." Everyone nodded. Severus spoke next, and he seemed almost reluctant to do so.

"The Dark Lord asked after you, Hermione, before you became injured. I told him that you were enjoying your time here with Remus and Sirius. I told him that I felt they would follow your allegiances since you are all so close." Hermione gave him a sharp look.

"Why would it make a difference if they follow my grandfather or not?" Her father raised an eyebrow at her tone, but let it pass.

"If the Dark Lord thought that they had switched sides because of you, he would likely put them on a no-harm list just like he has Potter and Draco. It would keep them safer. I would never do it without their consent, but it would keep them alive. There is a standing order to kill Remus not only for his status as a werewolf, but because he refused to join Greyback's pack. Now that Black has been reinstated into society as an innocent man, I doubt that he will go long without a kill order. He defied the Dark Lord several times during the first war, he doesn't easily let slights of that nature go." Hermione gave a small nod.

"I suppose that makes sense. We should talk to them before the end of the holidays. I suggest we keep that from Dumbledore as well."

When everyone agreed, Hermione settled back down onto the bed. She had already been up far longer than she should have been, and it had taken it's toll on her. She was exhausted. Both boys snuggled into her side, their warmth spreading to her, so she would sleep soundly. When her father realized that she wanted to go to sleep, he stood and held out his hand.

"One more thing, sweet. I'm not saying that this would have saved your life, or saved you from injury, but I'm saying that we don't know, and we shouldn't take the chance anymore. As much as wearing jewelry from your grandfather makes me nervous, if it keeps you safer, I think it's a good idea." Hermione wasn't sure how she felt about the situation either, but she supposed that her father had a point. It may have saved her from Dolohov's curse but then again, it may not have. Harry spoke, his fingers carding through her curls, brushing the hair back from her cheeks.

"I agree with Professor Snape. If there is even a tiny chance that it could keep you safe from something like that curse, I say you wear it. Your mind is a steel trap, he can't penetrate it. If you have that good of discipline, it's probably true that you can resist the Imperious. He wouldn't dare try to control you through it because he knows that you would rather die than help him against your will. I also think the sicko genuinely cares for you. If it keeps you safe, I say go for it." Draco nodded, his fingers twisting one of her more errant curls.

"I'm with them, Princess." Hermione didn't think that any of her protests would be heard anyways and she lacked the strength to fight back. Plus, there was a good chance that if she were to consider the situation and make her own decision, she would come to the same conclusion that they had.

Hermione reached out and took the ring from her father and slipped it onto the middle finger of her right hand. It slid right off, even though her hand was held upward, making it impossible for it to be the work of gravity. Severus and Draco both chuckled while both Hermione and Harry looked puzzled. Draco finally took the ring from the bed where it had fallen before dropping it instantly. He hissed in pain as he inspected his hand.

"I should have known better, of course he would put curses on it." Hermione was just becoming more annoyed at the fact that neither her father nor her boyfriend was explaining what the fuck was going on. She narrowed her eyes at Draco, but it was Severus that finally reached out and took the ring. He slid it onto the ring finger of her right hand where the ring glowed for a moment and then became normal again. Her father saw her heated look and explained.

"Purebloods have family rings, signet rings as some would call them. They are worn on the ring finger of the right hand, showing all that see it that they are either the head of their house or the heir. It wouldn't stay on any of your fingers except your ring finger because he has given you what appears to be the family ring of the Gaunts. He is proclaiming for all those that know of the family that you are his heir. I'm quite certain that he has indeed affixed many protections on it. It is also common knowledge that nobody but someone of the blood line can touch the rings without burning or something of the like. It is a failsafe, so rings can't be stolen." Her father gave Draco a look that she took to mean that he was an idiot. Hermione admired the ring once more, just a little bit touched at the gesture on her grandfather's part.

"Basically, he's telling the world that I'm a descendent of the Gaunts just like he is and that he claims me as his heir?" Severus nodded as he leaned back.

"In a nutshell, yes. Even after you are wed to Potter and Draco, they won't be able to touch it. Any children that you have will be free to touch it as they please. That's why I am able to touch it without any repercussions." Hermione nodded again, settling against her pillow again.

All three of them seemed to realize that Hermione wasn't capable of anything else at that time. She couldn't make out just what the three of them were discussing, but truthfully, she didn't care. Her boys were on either side of her, one of their hands caught in her curls, probably Draco. He seemed to have a fascination with her hair. Her father had a chair pulled up to the side of the bed, a book laying to the side. Hermione let her eyes slide closed, thanking Merlin that she had survived the encounter with Dolohov.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

A/N- I swore to myself that this chapter wouldn't be as long as the others since it was just the day she woke up and nothing truly catastrophic happened. Alas, it didn't work out. Therefore, if this chapter seems rambley, if that's a word, I apologize. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Leave me a message after the beep, I do so love to hear your thoughts (;

Next up, Hermione stays at Grimmauld while the two boys go hunt a horcrux.

Love,

Alicia


	26. Chapter 26

A/N- As always, your support humbles me. I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say thank you, but I can't help it. We're halfway through this fic, finally, and I'm well on my way to 700 reviews. Thank you. As I said, there are 49 planned chapters. Now whether it stays that way, I'm not sure. My muse is famous for coming out to play and gracing us with extra chapters. Therefore, happy halfway mark! Enough for now, this chapter is just begging to be written!

Disclaimer: I have begged and begged for J.K.R. to possess my soul so I can write more Harry Potter books, but no such luck. Therefore, I make due with fanfiction and story lines that have been done hundreds of times before.

Chapter 26

December 31, 1995

Severus would never admit it to anyone, but he was nervous. He had spent the whole day watching his daughter fuss over her two mates, scared to death that something terrible was going to happen to them that evening when they fetched the horcrux. While Severus wished he could say that her fears were unfounded, he knew they weren't. Albus would watch over them as best he could if it didn't interfere with his own personal goals. Who knew exactly what those were.

Hermione had begged him to try to heal her again, she said that she needed to go with Dumbledore and "her boys", but Severus had refused. It had broken her heart and made him feel terrible, but there was nothing for it. He wouldn't be able to heal her any more than he had already. While she had been upset and hadn't spoken to him for several hours, in the end she had understood that there were limits to magic and what he could do with them.

The Slytherin had commiserated with her, telling her that he didn't like the situation any better than she did. He knew that the whole situation made her nervous, so he had promised to stay with her until they returned, even facing his father's wrath if he was summoned. Hermione had begged him not to go that far, but he felt that he needed to since he wasn't able to heal her enough for her to go herself.

His daughter's loyalty to her friends still astounded him. It was true that Harry and Draco were more than friends, but she had willing cast herself in the path of an unknown curse from a famous Death eater to save Draco. While he was grateful for the gesture, he had wished that Draco had just taken the curse for her. Severus knew for a fact that Draco felt the same way, especially when he saw how Hermione had reacted to seeing the scar on her chest.

The scar was horrid, it didn't take a genius to know that. It stretched over the length of her torso and she was extremely self-conscious about it. Severus and Sirius were the only adults in the house that had seen it, Remus leaving any time that it had needed to be dressed. Severus would admit to wondering if the animagus had a bit of sick streak in him, but the truth had come out while his daughter was unconscious that the dog had only stayed during the most embarrassing part of the exams because Severus had demanded that he not leave them alone at any point in time until he returned.

It had been two days since his father had called him to his side, demanding an update on his granddaughter.

*Flashback*

The mark on his arm burned, no differently than any other time his master had called for him. Severus sighed, brushed the hair off his slumbering daughter's forehead, and began to back out of the room. Harry and Draco cast curious glances his way.

"The Dark Lord is calling. I'm sure he wants an update on his granddaughter. I will return." Both boys nodded sagely as they turned their attention back to his daughter. While he sometimes thought that neither of the boys deserved his daughter, he would be the first to admit that they both treated her well.

He made his way to the Entrance Hall even though he didn't need to be there to apparate via his Dark Mark. He pressed his wand to the mark and felt the familiar magic pull him into a tube of suction. When he felt the magic subside, he was standing before his father in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. He made a concerted effort to not drop to his knees as was his habit.

"Father, you called for me?" He bowed his head in deference and his father returned the nod, even if it was infinitesimally.

"Yes, I would like an update on young Isabella." Severus gave another nod as he relaxed visibly. His father chuckled next to him.

"Were you worried that I was going to torture you? Beg for my granddaughter, the most powerful witch since the founders, to find fault in my actions and come after me?" While his words seemed amiable, there was a tiny bit of bite in his tone.

"No, I was afraid that you would send me on a mission while she has only just woken up." His father seemed to relax at his words, which Severus found curious.

"Tell me about Isabella Rose." Severus nodded, much happier with the situation that he had been.

"She woke up yesterday. She's in a lot of pain, but it wasn't anything that I didn't see coming. I knew the curse would cause her pain. She has a horrendous scar from the top of her left breast to the top of her right hip. It will show in every outfit that she wears that aren't school robes. She's extremely self-conscious and she doesn't feel as if she's pretty anymore, let alone worthy of Potter and Draco's love." He hated feeling like he was betraying her confidence, but there was nothing else that he could do. He could produce false memories, but the Dark Lord was a master. He only lied when he had no other choice.

"What do they have to say about the scar and their feelings regarding it.?" Severus knew that he was on dangerous territory. Nobody slighted his granddaughter, and if he was found to be a part of it, he would surely die.

"Both boys have assured her that the scar didn't matter to them, that she was just as beautiful as she had been before. She hadn't believed them, she had told them that this was their chance to leave her without any hard feelings since she knew that they deserved someone that was beautiful on the inside as well as the out, both laughed at her. They told her that she was all that they wanted, scarred or not, and I think that while she doesn't believe their words completely, she is beginning to." His father nodded approvingly.

"Nobody will say a word against her scar, I refuse to let her suffer further than she already has. When we win over the rest of the Order of the Phoenix and the public begins to follow us, she will be raised on a pedestal and all the young girls will wish that they had a scar as dashing as hers." Severus knew that if the Dark Lord did indeed win the war, his words would be the truth. He was making sure that no matter what they did, if Voldemort did win, Hermione and her two mates would come out on the other end with him smelling like a rose. While his actions made his slightly sick, he knew that his daughter and her two mates were the most important things to him, not his conscience.

"She would feel much better, my lord. I think she's just trying to find her niche in life and it's more difficult that she anticipated." Voldemort nodded sagely.

"Keep me updated, Severus, let me know if she needs anything. My granddaughter deserves to have the best of everything. I know that Alexandra's inheritance will go to her son, but yours will go to your daughter. How substantial is it, Severus?" Even though he really didn't want to discuss money with the Dark Lord, he knew that it would come down to this eventually.

"I'm not quite as influential as Malfoy, Potter, and Black, this being said, I'm far above most of the other purebloods. There is nothing that my daughter will ever want for." His father grinned at him.

"I'm pleased, Severus. Your daughter deserves the best and you have provided that to her in more than one way." For performing above and beyond your duties when it comes to being a parent, he mentioned for Severus to step forward. Severus didn't' understand how he had performed above and beyond, but he wasn't about to step forward and admit to being lazy.

"You have my blessing to torment both those boys until the day that they marry my granddaughter. I want to know that their intentions are true." Severus felt that this might be a little over the top considering he had already told his father how both boys had handled the scar situation.

"Yes, my Lord." His father smiled at him indulgently, a sight that he really didn't care for, and moved on to business.

"Tell me what you think of Dumbledore since your daughter has become injured saving her mate."

Just like that, the conversation was over.

*End of Flashback*

Voldemort had seemed with pleased with how she had been healed, pleased that she had escaped with nothing wrong with her but scars. He shouldn't have been surprised. Of course, he would expect that everyone would still consider themselves lucky to be with his granddaughter. Severus agreed with his father, but he didn't dare voice the opinion since his daughter felt the complete opposite was true.

Sirius and Remus were in the library with them. Hermione had begged last night to be helped to her room, so they could have a modicum of privacy, but it just hadn't been possible. The pain in her chest was still far too great. Therefore, the boys stayed with her in the library with no complaint, although they seemed extremely put out that they were interrupted constantly by the two Marauders. Severus didn't think that they did it on purpose, they just truly wanted to be in the presence of their young charges, but it was annoying them anyhow.

Severus never thought that he would be the one to say it, but he felt like he had finally found a kindred soul in the two Marauders. They both loved Hermione without boundaries, Sirius at the very least would do whatever it took to avenge Hermione or keep her safe. It was funny what a person could overlook in character if the person loved and protected their child.

The Slytherin no longer looked for things to argue about with the two Gryffindors; now he did his best to keep his young charges in the company of them, so he knew that there would always be somebody looking out for them. The Weasleys and the daft Ravenclaw girl came and saw his three charges often. The trio had told the twins, Weaselette and Lovegoood that the boys would be leaving for several hours that weekend. While their friends didn't appear to be overly worried, he doubted that his charges had told them the exact nature of their outing. He had a sneaking suspicion that only himself and the trio knew that.

The trio were quiet as they waited for Albus. He knew that Hermione was nervous beyond consoling, but there was nothing he could do to lessen it. The three of them were huddled on the bed together while he, Sirius, and Remus pretended like they were reading in the corner. It seemed like several hours, in truth it had only been one, when there was a knock on the library door. Rather than make the teens get up from the bed, Severus stood and opened the door by hand. Albus Dumbledore was behind it, twinkling grin on his face.

"Greetings, Severus. I hope that this evening finds you happy and well." Severus couldn't help but snort.

"I'd be happier if you weren't taking two boys that I've promised to protect with my life with you into the great unknown. I have a feeling that you will all be disgustingly Gryffindor about the situation. I can't even count on Draco anymore since I think my daughter and Potter have corrupted his innate Slytherin tendencies." Albus chuckled at his words. While Severus had been mostly kidding, he did in fact mean that he could see Draco being a brash Gryffindor if he thought that his actions might save Hermione from harm or hurt feelings. To say that the two Gryffindors in their trio had rubbed off on his godson would have been an understatement.

Hermione had already thrown her arms around Harry, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist while her face was buried in his chest. From the outside looking in, it appeared to be much more of a hardship for his daughter to remain at home than it would have been for her to go and hunt pieces of the Dark Lord's soul. He supposed that that observation was the truth, but that didn't mean that he understood it.

Severus watched as his daughter clung to her best friend, whispering who only knew what in his ear, making him promise to keep himself safe and come home as soon as possible. While he hated the fact that he had lost his daughter so early on in their relationship to boys, he loved the fact that the boys she had fallen for held her in such high regard.

Once Hermione released Harry, she moved on to Draco. He knew that she was the most nervous about the Slytherin going. She and Harry had faced many adventures together, she knew exactly how her best friend would react when it came down to brass tacks. She didn't, however, know exactly how Draco would react. Severus could hear her scolding his godson softly, begging him to not play the hero so she wouldn't have to witness him harmed again. Draco tried to placate her and keep her calm, but he just didn't see that working out so well in the end for him.

It did, however, since Hermione had nodded silently, buried her face in his chest, and remained silent. Albus watched as their goodbyes were finally said in full and they were able to pull away from Hermione without her throwing a huge fit. Severus laid a hand on both the boys' shoulders, silently slipping into their minds. He waited until he was granted access that he passed on his message of making sure to keep each other safe because the Headmaster couldn't be counted on to do so. Both boys nodded slightly, the barest mention that they had understood him. He stepped back, falling to the bed next to Hermione while the two boys stepped forward to meet with Albus. Potter spoke since he was the most comfortable with the Headmaster.

"Let's get this party started. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll be back." Albus chuckled and clapped his hand down on both boys' shoulders.

"Too true, my boy, too true. Let us begin." Severus couldn't help but feel nervous for the two boys. He made his way to Hemione's side, same as Sirius, so they could give her moral support as her two mates walked out of the room and into the unknown. As the three of them disappeared through the library door, Severus was sure of one thing, and one thing only.

It was going to be a long night.

-O-

Draco already hated this mission and they hadn't even left yet. Hermione had seemed so desperate as she hugged him close and begged him to be careful that he really didn't want to leave her at all. He was sure that she felt an extremely large amount of anxiety about the fact that both her mates could become injured while she was injured enough herself that she couldn't do anything about it.

He didn't blame her. When he considered the fact that she was so seriously injured because she had thrown herself in front of a curse that was meant for him, it made him sick. The last thing that he wanted to think about was her being injured, let alone with someone that really didn't care if the injury occurred.

While Draco didn't think that their Headmaster would set out to deliberately hurt them, he wouldn't be able to maintain his immaculate image if either he or Harry were injured on his watch, he knew that the old man didn't truly care what happened to either one of them. It was very apparent that Dumbledore didn't like Draco, but he had played up the fact since first year that he cared deeply for Harry. It was quite obviously a lie since the man had felt no remorse at leaving the boy with abusive relatives, being starved and beaten. The old man before them had hidden more secrets than he had kept in his whole life.

Draco gave a final wave to the girl that had captured his heart before he made his way out of the library behind Harry and Dumbledore. The wizened wizard led them to the entrance hall, the only place that you could apparate in and out of. Draco hadn't explored the house at all while he had been there, he had been far more worried about keeping Hermione happy and comfortable, but he had learned enough in his time there to know that there was only the one apparition point.

Once they had reached the entrance hall, Draco cast a nervous glance to Harry. The Gryffindor was nervous, this was a fact that Draco knew without a doubt, but it was completely hidden behind a hardened look of disinterest. Since he was supposed to be the snake, the one that was able to fool those around him about where his true loyalties lie, Draco followed in his friend's footsteps. His gaze hardened and when the Headmaster turned to have them take his arm, there was no trace of nervousness.

Draco and Harry both took the wizard's proffered arms. They didn't move in closer as they would have if it had been Severus but stood at an acceptable distance and gave the Headmaster a nod. Sensing that he wasn't going to get anymore from either of the boys, Dumbledore made sure they had a tight hold and twisted on the spot.

It must have been the several decades of experience that the Headmaster had on everyone else in Draco's life. The apparition was smoother than anyone else had ever performed with him in tow. Harry didn't seem to realize just how easy the apparition was, but that was to be expected. He glanced around to where they were located, but he didn't recognize a thing. They were in the middle of a street, muggle he assumed, deserted as ever. While Draco had heard many tales about muggles and how populated their cities were, he could admit that he was thrilled that there didn't seem to be any near now. He wasn't necessarily scared of the idea of muggles, but they most certainly made him nervous.

"No worries, boys, this was just a stop in between Grimmauld and our destination. It's a must-do when apparating three of us." Draco didn't speak but nodded his understanding. His father had always told him that it was difficult to carry more than one person side-along. Therefore, he didn't loosen his hold on the Headmaster's arm, instead gripping it tighter since he knew that the second leg of the journey could potentially be more difficult for an aging wizard.

The expected suction of apparition sucked him in again and this time when he opened his eyes, he was on the edge of a fucking cliff. He could see that Harry was as surprised as he was, maybe more so, but Draco remained silent. He assumed that the Headmaster would explain.

"We're here, boys, I know this seems to be an odd place, but this is where Tom Riddle performed his first muggle torture on children that he lived with in the orphanage. I think that constitutes as an important place to him. I don't want either one of you to use magic unless it is absolutely necessary. It would be very difficult to explain to not only the Ministry, but Voldemort as well, just why you were with your aged Headmaster in the middle of nowhere using magic when it is clearly prohibited by law." Both boys nodded their understanding.

Draco shared a look with Harry; the Gryffindor seemed to be just as worried as Draco was. They were going to retrieve a piece of the Dark Lord's soul and they weren't supposed to use magic unless they absolutely needed to. Suddenly, he was glad that the Headmaster hadn't asked this of them in front of Hermione. She would have lost the plot and there wouldn't have been shit that he or Harry could have done to make her feel better. Better that she be in the dark until they returned.

Dumbledore waved them to his side, only for him to whip out his wand and wave it in their general direction. Draco felt his feel leave the ground and for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure what was happening. Harry didn't seem to be doing much better, not until the Headmaster spoke.

"We have to go to the base of the cliff. I don't have much faith in my swimming skills, therefore, I will levitate the three of us down the cliff until we are in the correct place." Draco didn't feel entirely comfortable with this, but there really wasn't much that he could do. While he wanted to tell the Headmaster to fuck off and find the horcrux on his own, he couldn't abandon Harry to this fate. Therefore, he suffered in silence.

The winds were high and icy cold. Draco shivered as the Headmaster lowered them slowly through the air until they reached the rocky outcrop hundreds of feet below them. The waves were deafening, crashing against the rocks below them. If Draco hadn't been scared to death of dying at sea beforehand, he most certainly was now. It seemed like to took forever for their feet to touch the ground, even if that ground was sharp and spiky rocks. While he felt nothing but relief, Harry began rubbing the scar on his forehead. Draco caught his arm before the Headmaster could start forward.

"What's wrong? Why are you rubbing your scar? You only do that when you're in His presence." Harry seemed to realize just what it was that he was doing, freezing for a moment. When he answered, he seemed almost embarrassed.

"It feels like he's here. I guess that makes me a tad nervous about continuing." Dumbledore nodded.

"That just confirms that there is a piece of his soul down here. We must continue, but carefully." Draco wasn't sure how this confirmed anything, but he remained silent. He would ask Severus or Hermione later.

The trio entered a cave that was found at the base of the cliff and once inside, he watched Dumbledore wave his wand around the room at large. On one of the walls, a bright gleaming light shined before it fell dark once again. Dumbledore gave a knowing nod.

"It seems that Tom has done his best to conceal the true nature of this cave. A blood price must be paid before we can enter." The Headmaster pulled a knife from his robes and made to slice his palm. Harry reached out and stopped him before he could.

"We can't use magic. Wouldn't it make more sense for us to make the sacrifice, so you don't weaken yourself? If anything bad happens in there, it will be you that has to keep us safe." While Draco didn't even want to think about volunteering his blood, he knew that Harry was right. The Headmaster gave a nod that said that he agreed with his young charge. The old man's eyes turned his way and Draco knew he wasn't going to like what was said next.

"I feel as though Mr. Malfoy will have to be the one to supply us with the blood for the sacrifice. It might weaken me too much here that I can't protect us and the Dark Lord may be able to recognize young Harry's blood since he was brought back in a ritual that was based on his blood. It seems to be the safest plan of motion." Draco was pissed off. Not so much at Harry for speaking the truth of the situation, but at Dumbledore for making it impossible for him to refuse. If it had been Harry, Hermione, or Severus, he would have sliced his hand without the slightest doubt. The fact of the matter was that he didn't trust the Headmaster, therefore making him most unwilling to offer up his blood, the most powerful ingredient in a spell or potion. With just a drop of his blood, the Headmaster could quite literally turn him in to a slave.

Blood magic was nothing to dabble in if you didn't have to.

With much trepidation, Draco stepped forward and allowed the Headmaster to slice his palm. Instead of vanishing the knife, Dumbledore cast it to the ground and set it afire, which Draco greatly appreciated. Once the blood welled up in his palm, the Headmaster gestured for him to place his hand on the wall before them. Draco spread his hand on the sharp rocks liberally, coating the jagged points in his blood. It seemed like it took forever, like he had bled for ages, before the wall beneath his hand seemed to vanish before them.

Once Draco had gathered his thoughts about him once more, he looked up to see exactly what the wall moving had revealed to them. There seemed to be a lake before them, with a small island located directly in the middle of it. There was what appeared to be a pedestal standing tall and proud on the island, but there was no way to know exactly what the pedestal held without making their way through the water. While Draco was more than a competent swimmer, he didn't feel the least bit comfortable swimming across the lake to reach the island. Just as his finished thinking these thoughts, he heard Dumbledore speak.

"I'm not sure what lies beneath the depths of this water, but do not touch it. No matter what, don't touch it." Both boys nodded solemnly, but he really wanted to point out that they weren't going to be able to get across the lake if they couldn't touch the water. Before he could speak, Dumbledore raised his wand and a small boat appeared before them, oars on each side. The old wizard gestured for them both to board. While Draco still couldn't help but feel as if everything dealing with the Headmaster was a trap, Harry instantly boarded, almost as if he was eager for the mission to be over with.

It was in this moment that Draco realized that his counterpart was just as eager for their mission to be over as he was. Neither one of them like to be separated from Hermione, but for this mission to occur it had been a requirement. Draco quickly boarded the boat, trusting the fact that the Headmaster would be too scared to try anything with them for fear of what Hermione's reaction would be.

To his pleasant surprise, nothing bad happened to them. The Headmaster boarded the ship with them and the trio cast away from the shore without any further ado. Harry and Draco both took it upon themselves to row their little boat, making their way towards the island. While the Slytherin wanted nothing more than for their mission to be over so they could be back in the library with Hermione, he knew that they would have to muddle their way through this unknown maze. It was hard telling what the Dark Lord had put in place to protect a portion of his soul.

Harry threw the anchor overboard when they reached the edge of the island. Draco left the safety of the boat first, pulling the small vessel up on the bank as much as he could. He made sure that not only did he not touch the water, neither Harry or Dumbledore would touch it as they climbed out on their own. Both seemed to notice the lengths that he had gone to, but neither commented on his actions. Draco was grateful.

While Draco hovered at the water's edge, Dumbledore and Harry made their way up towards the pedestal in the center of the island. It really wasn't all that large. The Slytherin was unsure of just what could be hidden there, but he hoped against hope that it was a horcrux so the three of them could head home without further ado. Dumbledore seemed to examine the pedestal carefully considering his words carefully until he did decide to speak.

"The Dark Lord is far from stupid. There is indeed a horcrux in the bottom of this pedestal, but to reach it, one of us must drink the potion that resides inside it. While I know that it is important for me to take all the risks since neither one you can produce magic without the Ministry being aware, I feel as though I am the most likely choice. However, it is not likely that either one of you will go without affectation of this curse. It's likely that just about anything could occur after I get the horcrux out of the potion. I want both of you to do what needs to be done, fuck all the consequences. It wouldn't do for you both to die. Your mate would then turn completely to the dark and there would be no stopping the anguish that she brought to our world." While Harry had a disbelieving look on his face, Draco knew that what the Headmaster spoke was true. If Hermione felt as if she had lost both of her mates, she would lose touch with reality and it would likely result in her letting her grandfather manipulate her into doing exactly as he wanted.

"I will drink the potion in the basin of the pedestal. I want you both to promise me that no matter what I say or do, you will make sure that I drink every last drop. The last thing that I want is for it to be in vain." While Draco hated making that promise, he just wasn't brave enough to condemn a man to suffering exactly who knew what, he knew that it had to happen. Therefore, he hoped that Harry was strong enough to promise for them both.

Dumbledore took the chalice that the pedestal seemed to provide, casting one last glance at Draco before he drank.

"Make sure that no matter what happens to me, he makes me drink it. It's quite likely I won't trust you, but I'm trusting you to make sure that young Harry follows through on his word. Don't let me down, Mr. Malfoy." Even though Draco had a wealth of things to say in response to the Headmaster, he kept quiet. He simply answered with a nod, satisfying the Headmaster enough to make him chug down a whole goblet full of potion.

The first cup full didn't seem to phase him. He drank deeply from the chalice, almost realizing that the quicker that he drank it, the less side effects that he would have. Draco still wasn't sure just what side effects there would be, he just knew that nothing would remain the same after that first cup full. It was when he started the second cup that it all went downhill.

"Don't make me, it will kill her! Please no, I need to know that she is safe." At first Draco thought that the Headmaster was referring to Hermione, especially since there was no notable female in his life in the last hundred years. This all changed, however, when he heard Dumbledore's cries. These weren't about Hermione, but rather about someone that he cared about. Draco had no idea just who that could be. He watched as Harry coaxed another goblet full of the potion down his throat.

While it seemed to have no ill effect on the world or those in it, it seemed to leave Dumbledore quite delirious. The only time he seemed to make sense was when he was speaking of keeping "her" safe. Draco had assumed that this "her" was Hermione, but after the first several minutes, it was quite clear that they had no idea who "she" was.

Dumbledore continued to ramble, but Draco tuned him out. When Harry had run out of potion to give their Headmaster, he had simply set aside the chalice and waited for their fearless leader to tell him what to do. Draco knew that it wasn't going to be that easy. The Dark Lord would want to render anyone that found his hideout inaccessible, so he could only hope that their combined brain power would save them.

In the end, Harry ended up giving into the Headmaster's will. Just as he had taken the last drink of the potion, the horcrux, a locket made completely of silver, shimmered into existence under where the potion had resided. Harry reached his hand in and grasped the locket, pulling it out so he could stuff it deep within his jeans pocket. The Headmaster continued to beg for water, beg for forgiveness, and it was all Draco could do to not feel guilty for the way in which he regarded the old wizard. Rather than conjure water from his wand, Draco watched as Harry hurried to the edge of the lake to gather water for the Headmaster.

The Slytherin meant to shout a warning to the Gryffindor, but in the end, he didn't. It was clear that the Headmaster was delirious out of his mind and if there was any hope of him returning them back to Grimmauld Place, he needed water as he was requesting. What happened, however, wasn't what Draco had expected.

When the Headmaster quieted, Harry relaxed against one of the many rocks. Inferi began to rise from the water, hundreds of dead corpses, rotting away in the darkest of places. Draco had always been terrified of the idea of inferi as a child and it seemed that his mind had had good reason. In real life, they were terrifying.

They rose from the water as if on a mission, and after a moment's consideration, Draco supposed that they were. They didn't seem to see Draco, surprisingly, but they were all headed straight for Harry and the Headmaster. If Dumbledore had been his usual self, he wouldn't have worried. However, their Headmaster was still recuperating from whatever potion it was that he had ingested.

Harry resorted to physical violence as it was all that he had while Draco watched helplessly from the sidelines. After only a moment of inertia, he stepped forward into the fray, determined to help the Gryffindor that was as good as his brother.

Draco had never been much of a fighter, not physically at least, but he learned quickly that you had to throw your weight into the punches you threw, or they really didn't amount to much. He had no idea how long he and Harry fought against the rising number of Inferi; he had a feeling that it was longer than it should have been, but there was really nothing that he could do about it.

It was when a group of Inferi rushed Harry that they made their fatal mistake. The Gryffindor had fought as hard as he could, rather than as smart as he could, and the animated bodies had managed to drag him to the water's edge. Draco was fighting as hard as he could to get to Harry, determined to be there for him as much as Harry had been there for him during the rough times in his life.

When he reached the water's edge, the inferi had managed to pull Harry under the surface of the water. They still didn't seem to be intent on harming Draco, almost as if they couldn't really see him. He had a feeling that it had to do with the fact that Harry was the one that had awakened them by touching the water. Without a second thought as to what could happen to him, another Gryffindor trait that he seemed to have inherited from Harry and Hermione, Draco dove headfirst into the dark, cloudy water.

At first, he couldn't see exactly where it was that he was going. Draco could hear the movement of water all around him and It confused him as to where it was that he needed to go. Finally, he decided to let go of his mind and follow his instincts. He swam further down into the water, deep enough that his ears were popping from the pressure. His lungs felt like they were about to explode when he finally touched a body. Not a dead body, but a body that still held warmth. He instantly knew that it was Harry.

Draco grabbed ahold of his brother and when he did, he felt a wave of magic flow through him that he had never experienced before. He felt all-powerful. He couldn't help but feel like how Hermione described feeling when her magic rose in defense of her mates. Deciding that he needed to grasp hold of the feeling and use it to the best of his abilities, he dipped deeper into his core. It felt like it took forever, but in reality it probably wasn't more than a few moments.

His magic exploded out of him, fueled by Harry's contact. The inferi in their vicinity vaporized, as much as that was possible for something that was underwater. Draco didn't want to think about who the bodies that had been animated had been belonged to. Harry seemed to be lucid, but only just. Draco hooked his arm around the Gryffindor's waist and began to propel the pair of them towards the surface. Draco was about to burst from lack of air and Harry had been underwater longer than he had.

When the pair burst through the surface of the filthy water, both boys heaved a deep breath, filling their lungs with the sweet air. It was short-lived, however, since the remaining inferi set upon them once again. Draco could feel the sore spots and bruises that appeared where the inferi were doing their damage; Harry looked much worse than he did he was sure. The Slytherin could no longer fight against the dozen inferi that were trying to kill him. His energy had given out even though Harry was still fighting just ten feet away. His attempts were feeble at best, but he was still fighting, refusing to give in to sure death.

Draco felt the inferi pull him under. He tried to fight them, but his strength was waning. He had finally given up, hoping that the Headmaster would escape and tell Hermione that he and Harry had fought to the bitter end. He had taken his first full breath underwater, his lungs flooding with the dirty water, when he realized that there was an orange blaze above them.

In the space of several more breaths under the surface, Draco realized that Dumbledore had finally come back to himself and was fighting the inferi with what appeared to be fire. The inferi that had been holding him under the surface rushed to the surface, hoping to help their cohorts he was sure. Even though Draco knew that he needed air desperately, Harry was floating above him, not conscious. The Slytherin began to kick his way to the surface again, dragging Harry along with him.

From the marks on the Gryffindor's body, he had suffered far worse than Draco had. He assumed that it had to do with the fact that Harry had been the one that tripped the spell that raised the inferi. When the pair reached the surface, Draco could hardly breathe. He knew that his lungs were full of water, he needed the Headmaster to cast a spell to clear the water, just as he was sure that Harry needed. Neither boy had the energy to drag themselves out of the water, they simply laid there on the bank, their bottom halves still ensconced in the filthy water.

Flames were still erupting from the Headmaster's wand, torching the inferi that were on the island. Draco didn't have the energy to watch what was happening; he could only hope that Dumbledore's actions would save them all. It seemed like ages had passed when the orange blaze disappeared, and the Headmaster appeared at his side as well as Harry's. Harry appeared to be conscious, but only just. If he was awake, he surely wasn't aware of the surroundings.

Draco didn't have the energy to speak, and he surely didn't have the energy to fight back against the Headmaster grasping his wrist tightly. He turned his head just in time to see Dumbledore take Harry's wrist in his other hand. He was still able to tell that the old wizard wasn't doing well himself but was doing his absolute best to gather his energy, so they could apparate.

Draco would have sighed in relief but was unable to since the tight tube of darkness overtook him, pulling him back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

-O-

Hermione couldn't sit still to save her life. She knew that she was driving her father up the wall with her constant fidgeting, but she couldn't help it. She was worried about the boys being alone with Dumbledore and she was even more worried about what they might come up against if they found a horcrux. Her grandfather was not a trusting man and she couldn't imagine him putting a watch dog in front of a horcrux. It would be so much deadlier than that.

It had been several hours since they had left. Severus had forced her to take a vial of calming draught. She had fought him on it, not wanting the drugged feeling that she often felt after the potion but had capitulated in the end. She would never admit it to anyone else, but she knew that she needed it. While her father appeared to be the picture of calm and cool, Hermione knew that he wasn't. She knew that Harry wasn't his favorite person in the world, but he had taken an oath to protect her boyfriend. The fact that his own godson was now in the same situation couldn't be easy for him. It was due to this fact that Hermione had tried to make the situation as easy for him as possible.

Sirius and Remus were waiting with them. While Remus seemed almost as calm as Severus, Sirius was much more high-strung, much like Hermione herself. She knew that the animagus loved her dearly, but that didn't compare to how much he loved his godson. They had warned them that the mission was dangerous, and while they hadn't tried to stop Harry's involvement, Sirius was most certainly worried.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts be a loud crack, much louder than the crack when the trio had left. She tried to rise from the bed, she made it halfway to her feet when Sirius reached forward and cupped her cheeks.

"Stay here, Poppet. You can't move too quickly. If they're injured, we can have them in here before you would make it out there." Even though she hated it, she knew that he was right. The Gryffindor just couldn't move too quickly since she was in terrible pain with almost every bit of movement that she made. Hermione waited in bated silence, her heart racing inside her chest. She was sure that the calming draught was now null and void in her system. There were shouts from the corridor outside of the library, Remus if she wasn't mistaken.

"Fred, use the floo and call McGonagall. Tell her that we need Poppy and that the Headmaster is injured." Hermione's heart stopped. If Dumbledore was injured, what kind of condition would her boys be in?

Hermione learned quick enough. The door slammed open and both of her boys were being levitated in the room by her father and Sirius. Both seemed to be conscious, but only just. Neither seemed to register exactly what was happening to them and that scared the life out of her. Remus came behind them with the Headmaster floating with him.

Severus motioned for Sirius to put Harry on one of Hermione's sides while he moved Draco to the other. Dumbledore was muttering to himself in the background while Remus transfigured one of the arm chairs into a small cot for him. Hermione wanted to hurry and see her boys, but a stern look from her father stopped her in her tracks.

"We don't know what's wrong with them, sweet, let me see what's wrong with them." She hated waiting, and she knew that she wouldn't have if it had been anyone other than her father asking it of her. She laid a hand on both their arms, lending what comfort she could in the situation at hand. Severus' wand waved over first Draco, readings that she didn't understand appearing in the air above him. When he seemed satisfied, he moved to Harry's side, Sirius moving out of the way so he could do the same to him.

Before he could speak and tell Hermione exactly what was wrong with them, Madam Pomfrey appeared in the doorway, Professor McGonagall at her side. The mediwitch started screeching about the fact that both boys were in the same bed as Hermione, that there would be no privacy and that just wasn't acceptable. Hermione had no plans whatsoever on moving from her current position between both of her boys, but Madam Pomfrey didn't know that.

"Miss Granger, I need you to remove yourself from the bed, so I can begin treatment." Hermione didn't respond, she simply ignored the woman. She turned to her father expectantly and motioned for him to proceed.

"They've both aspirated quite a bit of water, meaning that they have breathed in water into their lungs. Both have several injuries caused from who knows what, but that's all that I could ascertain in the short time that I spent with them." Hermione nodded and laid a hand on each of the boy's chest. Madam Pomfrey raised her wand toward Harry, intent on using it on him. Hermione looked up and met her eyes. While the mediwitch startled, she did not back down.

"Miss Granger, get out of the way so I can heal them, or I will be forced to remove you bodily from the room." Hermione gave the healer the coldest look that she was capable of.

"If you come near either of my mates, I will kill you." Severus and Sirius leapt into action, pulling the mediwitch away from Harry and Draco, while Remus and Professor McGonagall stood there, dumbstruck looks on their faces. Madam Pomfrey struggled against both men but relented when she realized that there was no way that she was going to win against them.

Hermione resumed her position from before, both her hands on their chests. Harry and Draco looked at her, but she wasn't certain that they were seeing her. Hermione closed her eyes, and though she was weak herself, she let her magic flow into both her mates. Her hands were warm from the transfer, but there was no outward sign that she was pouring her magic into them. Not until their cuts, bruises, and scrapes began to disappear. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight, but Hermione paid them no mind. Her focus was solely on the two boys beside her.

She was unsure of how long she worked on them, but when she was finished, they looked as if they had never gone on the damn fool's errand of finding a horcrux. Hermione slumped forward, almost as exhausted as she had been the first day that she had awoken from her sleep after being cursed by Dolohov. Her father rushed forward to the head of the bed, so he could guide Hermione back down onto the bed, her head landing neatly on her pillow. It was a good thing that both boys had been sleeping with her, leaving her natural place in the middle. She gave a deep sigh before rolling over onto her back. With both hands, she reached out and took the hands of her mates. Once they were secure in her grasp, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let the darkness overcome her.

-O-

Sirius didn't know what to think about what had just happened. He knew that Severus had assured he and Remus that Hermione had healed Draco from sure death before, he just didn't think that he would believe it until he saw it. And saw it he did.

Hermione was deeply asleep now, Severus shifting her slighting in the bed between Harry and Draco. Both boys had drifted off to sleep, both sleeping peacefully, or what appeared to be so anyways. Remus was speechless next to him, while Minerva kept her emotions to herself. It was Madam Pomfrey that surprised him.

The mediwitch rushed forward, her wand extended, as if she was bound and determined to heal the boys now that Hermione was out of the picture. Sirius knew in his heart that Hermione would never have denied those boys medical care if she couldn't heal their ailments. Therefore, after Poppy had cast the appropriate diagnostics and looked up flabbergasted, he no longer worried.

"These boys have nothing wrong with them, they're in perfect health. Someone better tell me how Miss Granger was able to heal them as she did, and to the degree that she did. Not to mention that I've never heard her speak a single threat in all her years at Hogwarts and she threatened to kill me." Sirius wasn't sure how to handle the situation, he really didn't know just what to tell the mediwitch and what to keep to himself. He wasn't entirely sure of just how trustworthy she was. Therefore, when Minerva stepped in, he was grateful.

"Poppy, you know that we're at war and that Mr. Potter and Miss Granger are at the very center of it." The mediwitch nodded reluctantly, almost as if she was nervous about what her agreement would be getting her into.

"There are things about these three that you aren't aware of, things that make them very special indeed. I ask that you not ask any more questions and keep your observations to yourself. Just promise me that if Miss Granger tries to heal them again and she threatens you to get you to stay back, take the threat seriously. She is not saying it for the sake of saying it. She will kill you and I don't believe that there is anyone alive that would be able to stop her." Poppy seemed dumbfounded.

"Surely the Headmaster…" Severus shook his head.

"I've seen her in action. The Headmaster wouldn't stand a chance. Speaking of the Headmaster…" Sirius understood that he wanted the attention off his daughter and respected him for it. He hated it when people fixated on Harry. Madam Pomfrey seemed to snap back to business, realizing that there was still another patient to be seen.

The mediwitch spent several minutes running her wand over the length of the Headmaster. Sirius thought that he had fallen unconscious but started when the woman spoke.

"The Headmaster is far from well, but he is alive and sane. He is resting his eyes, not truly asleep. He is severely dehydrated and has exhausted himself magically. I must insist that he return to Hogwarts with me, so I can keep a closer eye on him. Not to mention that the students will notice if he isn't in residence." Sirius nodded, inwardly thankful that the Headmaster wouldn't be staying at Grimmauld with them. Ever since Hermione had revealed to him just what Dumbledore had done to him personally, he wasn't too interested in being bosom buddies.

Sirius watched as Minerva stepped forward to help levitate the Headmaster towards the floo. Madam Pomfrey had decided that the floo would be safer and conserve more of Dumbledore's energy. While he didn't understand how, he knew that he was leaving that up to the Deputy Headmistress and the mediwitch. It took several minutes for them to take their leave, but once they were gone, silence fell in the library. Sirius finally broke the silence several minutes in.

"I've never seen anything like that before. She healed them both at the same time, completely. I watched them both try to heal her, and they only managed to do it partially. I thank Merlin that Hermione is on our side." Severus nodded sagely.

"It's a sight to behold. While the two boys are more powerful with her near them, she is still the catalyst. I'm not sure if she realizes it, or if they do for that matter, but the prophecy about her stands for a reason. She will either bring good to our world, or darkness to the depths never seen. While I hate it every single day, I'm glad that Albus took her from the Dark Lord's influence. I couldn't imagine her power being set upon the world." Sirius didn't know what else to say, therefore, he said nothing.

The three men sat there for ages, watching their charges and making sure that nothing happened to them in their sleep. When Sirius finally dropped off to sleep, he imagined a world where Hermione had been raised under Voldemort and turned the land to ruin. Needless to say, he didn't sleep well that night.

A/N- Boom, another chapter down. I've been working on this chapter for almost four days. I have one more day of my seven day stretch so pray for me! Anyways, thanks for hanging with me. Reviews = love so leave me your thoughts after the beep.

Next chapter, the horcrux is discovered to be a fake, but the real one is found and destroyed.

Love,

Alicia


	27. Chapter 27

A/N- I'm back again I hope that everyone is still enjoying the story. I'm loving your support, thank you, and keep it up. For everyone out there reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting, you're my freaking hero. The bomb dot com. Ok, I'll stop now before I completely humiliate myself. But seriously, thanks. Maybe this time I can produce a chapter that doesn't number over 9,000 words. Onward now, the next chapter is rolling around in my brain and I just can't focus on anything else.

**Shout out to pgoodrichboggs for being my 700th reviewer. You da bomb. **

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this story. The characters belong to J.K.R. and the plot line has been done before. I love to play in my own little world of Harry Potter. I haven't made a single knut off this story or any of my others.

Chapter 27

January 1, 1996

Hermione knew that she was on the edge of sleep. Sunlight was warming the skin of her cheeks, and her belly was rumbling slightly. She hadn't been able to eat her dinner the night before, so it was only natural that when her anxiety had lessened considerably, her hunger would surface. Suddenly she remembered exactly why she had had anxiety. Her eyes flew open, her head swiveling from side to side to make sure that both of her boys were next to her and healthy.

What she saw warmed her heart. Both boys were sitting next to her, leaning against the headboard with a plate of food held in their hands. Both were shoveling the food into their mouths as if it had been days since their last meal. There was a dribble of syrup down Harry's chin and several pieces of egg in Draco's lap. Any other time she would have been appalled at their manners, but after she had been scared that they were going to die, it was a sight for sore eyes.

Both boys gave her a grin when they realized that she was staring. Draco reached out and rubbed the top of her thigh. It was clear that they realized that she was upset but weren't sure what to do to make her feel better. Harry swept messy curls back from her face behind her shoulder, his hand lingering on her neck. It was just so bloody normal that she couldn't help it. She burst into tears.

Not delicate, feminine tears that most women wanted you to believe that they cried. Hermione cried fat tears that were coupled with wrenching sobs, her nose running like a faucet and her pale skin turning red and blotchy. It was not attractive in the least, and it wasn't sweet to witness. Hermione didn't care. She never claimed to be anything but what she was.

Both boys set their plates to the side and put their arms around her carefully. For the first few minutes, they simply held her while she tried to get herself under control. After her sobs had lessened, Draco had pulled her further into his arms, so Harry could begin to aggressively massage her shoulders. Both boys had learned quickly that all her stress was carried in her shoulders so whenever she got stressed out one of them would knead the muscles there. After several minutes, Hermione sniffled for the last time and waved her hand before her face, clearing away the snot that had accumulated. Both boys gave her her space.

"I was so fucking scared that you two were going to die, that I wouldn't be able to heal you. Dumbledore was in bad shape too, tell me what the fuck happened. Dad said that you had breathed in water." Harry gave a shrug.

"Honestly, my memory of the evening is kind of spotty. After the inferi appeared, I don't remember much." Hermione couldn't help but gasp slightly but remained silent. Harry turned to Draco and raised an eye brow.

"This is your story, mate. I remember you pulling me from the water, but that's about it." Draco gave Harry a nod before he turned back to Hermione.

"Dumbledore took us to a cliff. He levitated us over the rocks at the bottom until we were at the base. I had to offer blood to one of the walls to let us, a blood sacrifice meant to weaken your enemy. I wasn't too happy about doing it, but Dumbledore pointed out that he needed to save his strength to get us out of there and it was entirely possible that if Harry's blood was used, Voldy could trace it since that was how he brought himself back.

Once we were inside there was a lake with an island in the middle. We used a boat to get to the island and we found that there was a basin on the island filled with a potion. None of us knew what it did, but Dumbledore made Harry promise to make him drink all of it and made me promise to make sure that Harry followed through. After he drank all the potion, Harry reached in and pulled out a locket." Draco paused when Kreacher appeared in the library with a plate of food for Hermione. She could only assume that Sirius had sent him since she knew that the elf would never willingly serve her food.

Hermione dug in with gusto. She wasn't usually one to enjoy a full English breakfast, but today it was hitting the spot. The Gryffindor gestured with her fork for her mate to continue. Both boys smirked at her obvious enjoyment of her food before Draco continued.

"Dumbledore was begging for water, he was delirious by that point. I'm not sure if the spell didn't work, but Harry went to the lake and scooped up water with the goblet that he had used to feed the Headmaster the potion. He quieted after drinking the water, but we realized that there were dead bodies climbing out of the water. They all went for Harry. I jumped in and we both fought them without magic as best we could. However, it didn't end up being enough.

We were both dragged underwater, kicking and screaming. I looked over and saw that Harry had his eyes closed and had quit fighting. Out of nowhere, an orange blaze lit up the sky above the water. All the inferi rushed to the surface, leaving us alone. I caught Harry and pulled him up to the surface. Dumbledore had finally recovered enough to fight the inferi. After they were all dead, he grabbed ahold of both of us and apparated us here. I faintly remember getting here, but when I caught sight of you next to me on the bed, I knew that I was safe and fell asleep even though it was hard to breathe."

Hermione couldn't believe just how close to death both of her boys had been. She really wanted to burst into tears again but decided to distract herself before she could make a fool out of herself again. She set the plate of her breakfast aside and took a deep breath.

"Please tell me that that trip wasn't for nothing, that you managed to bring home the horcrux." Harry seemed to realize that the question was aimed at him and shuffled around so he could squeeze his hand into his pocket. He pulled it out and clutched in his fingers was a silver locket. He handed it to Hermione, but when she touched it she didn't feel a thing. At the very least she had thought she would feel the presence of magic. Hermione turned to Harry.

"Does this locket make your scar hurt? Can you feel his soul inside there?" Harry shook his head.

"No, I instantly knew last night that it was a fake. I remember how the diary felt, how touching it just felt wrong. This locket feels nothing like that. It just feels normal." Draco raked a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated at what their words meant.

"So, this means that we almost died for nothing. For a fake horcrux. Bloody fucking brilliant." Hermione was examining the locket, but Harry answered him.

"It looks that way, mate. Welcome to my life. Nothing goes right and when it does, you almost die. It's great fun." Draco snorted.

They continued to bicker in the background, but Hermione tuned them out. She couldn't quite help but think that this locket looked so familiar. Who had found the real horcrux and replaced it with the fake? How long had the fake been down in that cave? She had hoped that finding a horcrux would answer some of their questions, not raise more. It surprised her when her thumb caught on a tiny latch behind one of the stones. The locket opened, and a yellowed piece of parchment fell out into her lap.

"Sweet Merlin, I found a note. Whoever stole the original horcrux left us a note." Both boys fell silent, urging her to open in and read. The parchment was old, but not so old that it ripped when she carefully unfolded it. Once it was fully open, it wasn't any bigger that a muggle notecard. Hermione cleared her throat, so she could read.

 _"To the Dark Lord_

 _I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more._

 _R.A.B."_

Neither of the boys spoke once she had finished. Hermione was slightly surprised to be honest. She was getting ready to speak when her father's voice came from behind them.

"Was that found in the horcrux?" All three teens whirled around realized that Severus and Sirius had both entered the room without them being aware. Hermione flamed with shame at the fact that they had been caught so easily unawares. Harry was the one that spoke, surprising since she knew that her father still intimidated him.

"Yes, sir. Hermione popped it open and found a note from the person who really took the horcrux." Severus and Sirius took seats against the bed, serious looks on their faces. Hermione had a feeling that this was about to get deeper, so she heaved a sigh, surprised to only find a twinge of pain. Not gone by any means but lessened considerably. She wondered if it had something to do with linking her magic with the boys' when she healed them. The Gryffindor was pulled from her thoughts by her father speaking.

"We need to know what happened last night. Dumbledore hasn't been back to tell us and neither one of you were in any condition to tell us last night. I don't think my daughter would have allowed us to question you even if you had been capable of answering." Hermione felt another light flush at his words. She recalled how she had threatened Madam Pomfrey and was horrified. The mediwitch would probably never forgive her. Before Draco could speak, Hermione cut in.

"You want us to say everything? I mean, they went to retrieve a…." Hermione trailed off and left the statement open. Her father twitched his lips slightly, as if he wanted to smile but refrained at the last moment, so he didn't lose his reputation for being an unfeeling bastard.

"I took it upon myself to inform both Black and the wolf as to what your true mission was. Remus is a werewolf; therefore, his mind is automatically protected from legilimency attacks. When you try to peer into his mind, all you see and hear is static. Sirius informed me that he was taught to shield his mind as a child, his parents insisted on it. I tested him last night before I divulged your mission and found that while he is no expert, his shields are more than adequate. I don't foresee him going before the Dark Lord as you three will, therefore his level of expertise doesn't need to be as high." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She went to her knees on the bed, so she could lean forward and hug her father. He seemed surprised, but she didn't let go.

"Thank you, Daddy. I love those two like they're my uncles and it was killing me to keep a secret this big from them. I don't know how you've been a spy for so long, the secret-keeping is enough to drive me mad." Her father chuckled as he helped her back onto the bed.

"That's because you're a Gryffindor and you like to carry your heart on your sleeve. We Slytherins don't mind keeping secrets if it is to our advantage. Trust me, staying alive was most certainly an advantage worth keeping secrets for." She gave him a grin before she nodded to Draco.

Her Slytherin mate retold the story that he had told her, perhaps in a little more detail than he had told her. She knew that he left out those little details so as not to worry her more than she was, but it irritated her still. However, she would do it to him in a heartbeat if she could, so she decided not to make it into an argument. Both Severus and Sirius listened closely, asking questions in the appropriate spots.

When Draco finally fell silent, both men looked contemplative. Hermione was anxious on what their take was on the fake locket situation but didn't want to rush them. She left them to think while she turned her attention back to the letter. It was Harry that broke the silence.

"If you told both Remus and Sirius, where is Remus? Didn't he want to know what happened?" Sirius cracked a grin.

"Of course, he did, Prongslet. He offered to keep the Weasleys out of the library, so we could have this conversation without being interrupted. We'll fill him in, I promise." Severus spoke next, holding out his hand to Hermione for the parchment she held.

"Let me see the note." She happily handed it over, anxious to see what her father and Sirius could gather from it. Both men scanned it and she didn't realize that anything was amiss until she realized that Sirius had gone deathly pale. She didn't understand why so she leaned forward to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Sirius are you alright?" He didn't answer her, instead muttered under his breath.

"It can't be, it just can't." Hermione looked to her father and realized that he looked somewhat pale himself.

"Someone tell me what the fuck is wrong." Both boys laid hands on her shoulders, to help keep her calm she was sure. Harry looked especially worried but remained silent. When Sirius spoke, his voice trembled.

"Regulas Arcturus Black. R.A.B." Hermione felt her blood rush to her head, roaring in her ears. Was it possible? Draco looked confused, but it was Harry that asked the question.

"Who is Regulas Black?" Sirius finally looked up from the parchment to meet Harry's eyes.

"My little brother." Severus spoke then.

"My best friend."

None of them spoke, but it was clear that all their minds were on just how it was that a Death Eater, a young one at that, had gotten his hands on the real horcrux. Hermione did her best to recall every detail she had learned about the Slytherin from what she had read in the Black library. He was a seeker for the Slytherin team, he was revered as the perfect child while Sirius had been cast out for not fitting the mould that his parents had cast for him. Became a Death Eater after he had turned sixteen and had been assumed dead on the Dark Lord's orders when he went missing in 1979. Was it possible that he had died in the endeavor of taking the horcrux? Harry, Draco, and Dumbledore had certainly come close. Not to mention that someone would have had to have gone with him, so they could get the real horcrux out. Suddenly, it hit Hermione like a ton of bricks.

"Sirius, call Kreacher." He gave her a confused look but complied.

"Kreacher." The elf appeared before them, bowing as low as he could.

"The ungrateful master calls?" Sirius gritted his teeth but turned to Hermione.

"Kreacher, we need you to tell us what happened to Regulas when you went to the cave and got the locket." Both boys looked dumbfounded and Sirius stared at her blankly. Severus, however, understood almost immediately.

"Kreacher will not answer the half-bloods questions. Master Regulas was a true wizard not…" He was cut off by Sirius' words.

"You will answer every single one of her questions, Kreacher. To the fullest extent that you are capable." The small elf bunched up his hands but turned to Hermione and began to speak.

"Master Regulas had pledged his lifes and service to the filthy half blood that wanted to rules the world. Kreacher was called to his side one day and hims told me that I's was going to go with the Dark Lord, that hims needed an elfs help with something. Master Regulas ordered me to return to him before I left. The Dark Lord took Kreacher to a cave where hims placed a spell on a stone. It filled with a clear liquid, Kreacher thought it was water. The bad Lord ordered Kreacher to drink it. Kreacher did but it burned, it hurts him. The half blood put a locket in the bottoms of the stone and refilled the liquid, then apparated away, leaving Kreacher there by himself." The elf had begun to cry at this point, and Hermione knew that the ending wasn't going to be a good one.

"Kreacher returned to Master Regulas and hims was angry that Kreacher was in pain, almost dead. He helped Kreacher get better, nursed him for days. When Kreacher was better, he ordered Kreacher to take him to where the bad lord had taken him. He had a locket with hims in his pocket. Kreacher was scared but took Master Regulas like he had asked. When wes got there, Master told Kreacher that no matter what happened, I's was to get the locket out of the stone and go home with it, destroying it before anyone ever found it. I's promised but begged for Master to return with me.

Master drank all that liquid and hims was begging Kreacher for water. Kreacher was getting the locket out of the stone when Master went to the water's edge. Dead bodies camed after him and pulled hims under. Kreacher went to help his master, but it was no use. My magics wouldn't work in the cave. I felt the bond with Master Regulas break and Kreacher knew that he had failed to save his master. Kreacher left the cave and returned home. I's tried every ways possible to kill the locket, but Kreacher failed!" The elf began to wail before he ran over to the fire place and grabbed the poker, so he could start hitting himself with it. Hermione leapt from the bed as quickly as she could without causing herself undue pain, so she could take the poker from the elf. Everyone else in the room was silent, almost as if they didn't realize that the elf was harming himself. Hermione's words were harsh.

"Enough, Kreacher! Stop hurting yourself." To her complete surprise, the elf listened to her. He was still crying, massive tears tracking down his cheeks, but that she could deal with. She held out her hand for the fake locket that Harry still had clutched in his hands. Even though he still seemed to be dazed, Harry complied and tossed her the locket. Hermione held it in her hand in front of Kreacher's face, making sure that he had fixed his eyes on the locket.

"This is the locket that Master Regulas left in the stone. Harry and Draco retrieved it last night. Do you know where the locket you brought home is?" Kreacher shook his head.

"My mistress founds it and put it in her jewelry box. Kreacher could never get it again. When the woman Weasel was cleaning out Mistress' things, she taked it and put it in a bin. Kreacher tried to take it backs, but she found him and yelled at hims." Hermione turned to Sirius.

"Didn't Molly put all the things she cleaned out up in the attic?" He gave a shaky nod, obviously still is disbelief at the elf's revelation. She turned back to Kreacher after a moment.

"Kreacher, I have a favor to ask of you. We want to destroy the locket that Master Regulas sent you home with. Will you help us find it? Sirius thinks that it was maybe put in the attic. It's imperative that we find it." The elf quit crying and looked at her with shiny eyes still wet from tears.

"Oh yes, Mistress, yes, Kreacher will helps you." She smiled at him, aware that he had just called her mistress rather than filthy half blood. Both were better than filthy mudblood, she supposed. Knowing that it would mean the world to the little elf, she leaned forward and placed the fake locket horcrux around the elf's neck.

"You followed your master's orders and you're going to help us destroy the locket. You deserve to wear this for Master Regulas." The elf burst into tears again, but this time they were tears of happiness. Kreacher threw himself at her legs and hugged them tightly, smearing snot and tears on her night dress.

"Thank you, Mistress, thank you!" Hermione knelt carefully and pulled the elf into a hug. Her legs were already covered, what was another hug?

"You're welcome. Kreacher, please go begin looking for the locket. I'm going to shower and then we'll be up to help you shortly." He nodded enthusiastically, excited to finally obey his master's final orders. With a crack, the elf was gone. Hermione turned to see everyone in the room staring at her.

"What? It made him happy and now he's going to find the real horcrux for us. Quit looking at me as if I've grown wings." Harry and Draco were quick to comply, only after sending her smiles. Severus shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Sirius chuckled sadly.

"I think that elf will follow you to the depths of hell now. Good job, Poppet." Hermione could see just how upset Sirius was. She went to his side and hugged him carefully, quite sure that she wasn't going to hurt herself.

"This means that your brother was a hero, Sirius. I know you two didn't get on well, that he stood by the pureblood ideologies, but you should be proud of him. He likely knew that he was going to meet death in that cave and he went anyways to do his part to bring down the Dark Lord. Remember the good that he did, not the bad." Sirius sniffled just loud enough for her to hear but nodded his agreement. When his arms loosened around her she pulled back and smiled at him before moving to her father. Severus looked upset, but not to the level that Sirius seemed to be. She hugged her father again and whispered in his ear.

"Your friend was just like you. You both made mistakes but realized that you could make up for them. You've both done your part in bringing down the evil that you once embraced. You're both good men." Her father snorted softly but said nothing. He held her tight for several minutes before he released her and straightened, the soft gooey side of him gone for the moment. It was all business then.

"I think that all three teens need to shower. You all smell terribly, Hermione of elf snot, and Harry and Draco of rancid lake water. Off with you all, go shower." Hermione giggled softly at his words, knowing they were his way of bringing his normal persona back to front and center. Since she had hugged the two men, she moved to hug both boys. Both pulled away from her, however, grimaces on their faces. It was Draco that spoke.

"We love you, Princess, but you have elf snot all over you. Not a chance that you're going to hug us." She rolled her eyes at his words.

Since they wouldn't hug her, Hermione left them all in the library, heading up to her bedroom. She hadn't been there since the day that she had been attacked by Dolohov, but now that she felt just a little bit better, she felt that she would be moving back in there tonight. She still had ten potions that she had to take every day, some of them more than once, but she could manage that on her own now. Not to mention, she was sure that her father would appreciate being able to sleep in his own bed.

Hermione had informed him more than once that he didn't need to stay in the library with them, but he always waved her words away, making it clear that she wasn't going to dissuade him from staying. While everyone else said that he stayed to make sure that there was no fooling around, Hermione had a feeling that he stayed because he had been scared to death that she would die and if he was able to make sure that she was indeed alive at any given time, it made him feel better. Therefore, she remained quiet and let her father sleep where he pleased.

Hermione hadn't had a proper shower since she had been injured. She had had to make due with cleansing charms cast by her father, Remus, or Sirius. While they did clean her, she still felt disgusting. Nothing beat a good old-fashioned shower. The Gryffindor gathered her robe and toiletries quickly, making sure that she would get in the shower first. There was nobody in line, so she slipped in quietly.

Her shower didn't take long. She reveled for a short period under the hot water, allowing it to help loosen her tense muscles. She wondered if her father had a potion for tense muscles. Muggles had a pill for them, it would stand to reason that there would be a potion. All was well until she got out from under the water and caught a glimpse of her scar in the mirror. It had faded even more since she had last gathered the courage to look at it. It was still ugly, still marred her pale skin, and she still hated it, but it didn't seem as earthshattering as it had when she had first discovered its existence. Harry and Draco swore that they didn't mind, but she just couldn't quite believe them. It was horrid. She would have to come up with a way to discover exactly how her mates felt about her now that she was scarred.

Hermione threw her robe on quickly, shutting down the thoughts about her scar. She hurried across the hall back to her room, so she could find something comfortable to wear. The Gryffindor searched her wardrobe and rather than wear jeans as she normally would, she put on a pair of yoga pants with a long-sleeved shirt. She waved her hand over her hair, drying it completely so she could run her brush through it. Once her curls were brushed and laying in ringlets down her back, she took a deep breath and headed back down to the library.

Harry and Draco were both still gone, showering in other bathrooms in the house she was sure. Her father, Sirius, and Remus, were now in the library together, the former of the two filling in the werewolf on what they had discovered. She took a seat in the armchair across from the three of the, gingerly, since quick movements still caused her pain. She listened into their conversation until Remus knew everything that they did.

Just when they were about to speak, both Harry and Draco barreled into the library, laughing at each other as they both fell to the ground. Hermione giggled softly, happy to see them alive, well, and enjoying themselves. It was clear that they had been racing and they had ended up in a heap on the floor. The three men in the room just shook their heads in amusement as the two teens pulled themselves up off the floor only to grin at each other like mad. Hermione stood carefully, sweeping the room with her gaze.

"Everyone ready to go to the attic and help Kreacher?" Draco groaned.

"I just showered, Princess, Kreacher wants to find it. How terrible would he feel if one of us were to find it?" Sirius, Remus, and Harry all stepped back leaving Draco to his fate. Severus didn't back up, but he crossed his arms and smirked, obviously ready to enjoy the show. Hermione's hands went to her hips and her hair started to spark.

"How would you feel, Draco Lucius Malfoy, if you were nothing more than a servant to be treated like trash? You wouldn't feel very fucking good. I'm telling you right now, if I ever do decide to marry a selfish, pompous arse like you, you will pay every single one of your elves and you will like it. I refuse to support slavery." Draco seemed confused at first but rallied quickly.

"Our elves aren't slaves, they're doing what they love to do and that is take care of us. Just because you don't understand about the wizarding way of life and the customs, doesn't mean you get to come in and try to change everything." Hermione couldn't believe that he had said that to her. Everyone else in the room remained silent, waiting to see just what she was going to do. While she wanted to hex her mate until he was blue in the face, she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had won. She blinked back the tears that had pricked her eyes and met his gaze coolly.

"You, and by you, I mean most wizards, take innocent little creatures that love to take care of people, and bind them to you magically so they have no choice but to serve you. Most wizards demand that their elves take care of their households and their families, never once asking the elves what they want to do. If they do something wrong, they are either abused by their owners or made to injure themselves. They don't receive wages, they don't receive days off. I think that our idea of slavery are two completely different things, Draco. Wizards treat elves like they're the scum on their shoes, just like how my grandfather thinks of muggleborns. Just like what he thought of me before he realized just who my father was. Therefore, I will always identify with elves. You think that I'm treated fairly at school by my classmates, or by some of the teachers? All because I'm perceived as a lower life form. So, fuck you, I'll always campaign for better treatment of elves and anyone else that is perceived for being less than everyone else for no other reason than something they can't control. If you don't want me fucking up your wizarding traditions with my ignorance, find you another witch to marry. Feel free to stay here and stay clean, I'll be going to help Kreacher scour the attic." Hermione didn't bother to look at anyone else once she had finished.

It was rather belatedly that she realized that she had no idea where the attic was. She really wasn't sure where everyone else would go so she did the only thing that she could do.

"Kreacher?" The elf popped into existence before her, bowing low. Hermione wanted to laugh at the cobwebs and dust bunnies that were hanging from his ears, but she didn't. She really didn't want to offend the elf.

"What can Kreacher do for Mistress?" She held out her hand to him.

"Will you take me to the attic Kreacher? I want to help you, but I have no idea how to get there." The elf's eyes shined for a moment and Hermione sincerely prayed that he wouldn't burst into tears.

"Mistress wants to help Kreacher?" She gave him a resolute nod.

"Absolutely." His eyes threatened to spill over, but they didn't. He reached out and took her hand, popping back out of the room.

-O-

Harry wanted to shake his head at his friend's stupidity. Hermione was extremely laid back, you could joke about almost anything and it wouldn't bother her, but that did not stretch to the discussion of how elves were treated. For the most part, Harry agreed with her. He thought that the way most of the elves were treated was despicable. However, he would be more than amenable to having elves if they were treated properly.

Once Hermione had popped out of existence in the library, hand held tightly in Kreacher's, Harry heaved a deep sigh. He knew that she was angry now, but when she cooled down, she would be able to deal with the situation better. If there was one thing that was sure to get Hermione hot and bothered in a hurry, it was the mistreatment of elves.

Draco just stood there, completely flummoxed as to what had just happened. All three of the men were hiding grins behind their hands, none of them interested in helping the young Slytherin. Since the boy was as good as his brother, Harry stepped forward and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco turned to him, voice monotone.

"Did she just break up with me?" Harry snorted.

"No, she basically told you exactly how she felt about elves, werewolves, and muggleborns. You then told her that she was ignorant when it came to wizarding customs, and she told you to get your shit together. Hermione is the most laid-back witch I know, but you don't insult house elves, goblins, or werewolves. Not unless you want her to hex you. I made that mistake only once when I told her that knitting hats for the house elves at Hogwarts was ridiculous, that they were treated great. I picked myself up off my arse, told her that she was right as you would do for any female, and never spoke of it again. Life has been pretty grand since then." Draco bristled slightly.

"You're telling me that I have to give into her every time she does this, that what I want doesn't matter." Harry held up his hands, so Draco didn't think that he was taking sides.

"I'm not saying that at all. I am saying that you should pay attention to what just happened before your eyes. Kreacher is a Black family elf. He must obey Sirius since he's the head of his house. He might obey you since your mother was a Black. He holds purity of blood above everything, he calls Professor Snape, Hermione, and I half blood filth. He calls Remus a half breed. With a simple act of kindness, Kreacher is calling Hermione Mistress and bowing to her every whim. She made him stop hurting himself and she respected that he wanted to finish what Regulas ordered him to do. His loyalties changed just like that with a simple act of kindness. I'm not sure if she could order him to kill Sirius, but she could most certainly get him to betray him. You think that your elves would be any different? Dobby did everything in his power to warn me of your father's actions in our second year, against his wishes, because I treated him like a person." Sirius stepped forward.

"Trust me, I don't like the little blighter, but I only ever saw that level of devotion in his eyes when he spoke to or about my brother. I guarantee you, that elf would die for her. That's the kind of loyalty that wizards want from their elves, but rarely achieve. I grew up with the same ideals as you did, Draco, make no mistake. It was around sixteen that I was burned from the Black family tapestry and kicked out of the family after almost losing my life because I refused to take part in it any longer." Draco gave a slow nod and finally slumped.

"Merlin, she's going to make me grovel before she forgives me, isn't she?" Harry shook his head.

"Nah, she's pretty forgiving. If you apologize to her, if you're sincere, she won't make you grovel. She's not about having power over someone. Well, except Moldyshorts." Sirius and Remus snickered again. Professor Snape stepped forward and laid a hand on his godson's shoulder.

"Just swallow your pride and go up there and look. You'll get dirty, but it will make her happy. The rest will follow." The Head of Slytherin turned to the rest of them.

"I'm going to go check on Albus and let him know of these developments. I can only imagine that he'll want to be a part of destroying it once it's found." Sirius and Remus took their seats again, both opening books before speaking.

"We're going to stay down here and let the two young kids go up and make nice with the witch. If she starts hexing, then it isn't our bollocks that are in danger." Remus shoved him good-naturedly.

"Hey, I'm a slavering monster. You really think she could get the drop on me?" Sirius and Severus both laughed.

"You're a little lap dog since you take your wolfsbane. She would eat you alive." All three men snorted in humor. Harry gestured for Draco to follow him, only for the duo to turn back and meet Sirius' eyes.

"Mind telling us where the attic is? I doubt that Kreacher would give us a ride like he did Hermione." Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Fourth floor, fifth door on the left will take you to the staircase that goes to the attic Happy hunting."

Harry pulled Draco out the door and they made their way to the staircase. Four flights of stairs didn't phase them and when they found the doorway to the stairs, neither hesitated to bound up said stairs even though they creaked terribly under their weight. They reached the door at the top of the stairs and flung open the door to be met with a cloud of dust. Hermione was in the corner clear on the other end of the enormous room while Kreacher was searching through boxes several feet from them. Kreacher started when he realized that they had entered the room.

"Master Draco and the filthy half-blood! What is yous doing in the Black family attic, snooping through our secrets?" Harry rolled his eyes and watched as Hermione made her way over to glare at the pair of them. Harry didn't get a chance to speak because Draco stepped forward and took Hermione's hand.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to insult you, though I know that's what I did. Harry explained, and Sirius, well hell, and Severus too. If you marry me, you can do whatever you want with our elves if you don't free them. They really would be lost without us since they truly are bonded to the Malfoy line." Hermione cocked her head to the side, gauging his sincerity. When she spoke, it wasn't what he was expecting.

"If we were married and the child I had was Harry's, would the elves still be bound to the child since it wasn't your blood?" Draco was struck silent for a moment. He was unsure of the answer.

"I'm really not sure. However, if you win the elves over like you have Kreacher, they won't care who the children belong to, as long as they belong to you." She gave him a glittering smile and Harry couldn't have been happier. Draco had given her the correct answer. He watched as Hermione floated into Draco's arms and allowed him to kiss her softly. Harry didn't give them long before he interrupted them.

"We need to get back to searching. Professor Snape went to get Dumbledore if he was able. I think he'd feel better if the horcrux was destroyed as quickly as possible." Hermione snapped back to business and stepped away from Draco.

"We've searched the whole north side of the attic. Kreacher has started on the east and I'm working on the south. Kreacher says that the fake locket looks exactly like the real one so keep your eyes peeled." Harry really wanted to salute her but decided that the last thing that he wanted was to fight with Hermione over something supremely unimportant.

Harry went to the west side of the room while Draco moved to help Kreacher with the east. The trio and the elf worked in companionable silence for well over an hour. He was already tired and filthy, his breathing a little more labored then usual. He attributed this to the fact that he had breathed in quite a bit of lake water recently, but he didn't say anything. Harry hadn't been expecting Kreacher to yell out of nowhere.

"Kreacher found it, he found Master Regulas' locket!" All three of them dropped whatever junk it was that they were going through at the moment to rush to Kreacher's side. Hermione dropped to her knees and let the elf lay it in her hands. Harry felt his scar prickle at the proximity, but he refrained from touching it.

"That's the real thing. I can just feel the evil energy exuding from it." Hermione smiled at the elf and hugged him close.

"Thank you, Kreacher. Now we can finally destroy it. Would you like to watch?" The elf nodded his head enthusiastically. She left it in Kreacher's hands.

"You carry it down. Regulas left you with the task of seeing it destroyed, it's only fair that you carry it to it's destruction." Kreacher held it reverently before him. He was almost to the door when he suddenly turned back to face Hermione.

"You is the granddaughter of the bad Lord. Why does Mistress wish to harms her family?" Hermione dropped to her knees again in front of Kreacher, so she could meet his eyes.

"I am his granddaughter, I am also more powerful than he is. For this reason, he fears me. I won't abide by him trying to take over the world by death and destruction. He would have fared much better to become a politician than a megalomaniac. I can't let him survive if he insists on killing and torturing innocent people." Kreacher cocked his head.

"Young Miss should takes his place. Yous wouldn't kill and torture good mens you would rule and makes the world a happy place." Hermione smiled at the elf before she spoke.

"I don't want to rule the wizarding world, I want everyone to be happy and make their own decisions." Kreacher didn't dispute her words but nodded her way before turning and leading them back down the stairs.

This had the potential of being a long night.

-O-

Severus brushed the soot from his robes as he stepped out into the Headmaster's office. He hadn't expected to find anyone there, Dumbledore was reportedly in the Hospital Wing after all, but he barely kept from starting when he looked over and saw the old man sitting in his chair as if nothing had happened. He glanced up imperiously at the Headmaster before he took a seat in front of his desk.

"You know you shouldn't be out of the Hospital Wing. Are you trying to fool everyone into thinking that you're omniscient?" Dumbledore chuckled lightly at his words.

"No, I'm only trying to keep a level of normality for the students. The less they know, they better." Severus had to give him that one. It was very true that the less the students knew the safer they would be. Severus kept up eye contact with the Headmaster before he spoke.

"The horcrux you found was a fake. The original horcrux was found by Regulas Black and given to the house elf Kreacher to destroy." The Headmaster's eyes flashed momentarily.

"Does the elf still have it in his possession?" Severus shrugged.

"I wouldn't say that it was in his possession, but he and our unwitting trio are in search of it right now. I think it would be in our best interest to make our way back to Grimmauld Place with the Sword of Gryffindor." Dumbledore gave him a slight nod before he rose from his chair. He moved to the wall and pulled the portrait of Phineas Nigellus away from the wall. He withdrew the Sword of Gryffindor and tucked it into his robes. Severus noticed that he swayed slightly.

"Are you alright, Headmaster? You don't seem to be completely well." Dumbledore sighed.

"I'm not as young as I used to be. I will be fine, I just need a little bit of time for me to heal completely." Severus decided that he would take the Headmaster's word for it and motioned for him to join him. The pair made their way to the floo and Severus let Albus lead. Once he disappeared into the floo, Severus stepped forward, so he could follow.

When he stepped out of the floo, he found himself in Grimmauld Place's library once more. Sirius and Remus weren't present, but all three of the teens were there, as well as Kreacher. All three stiffened at the sight of the Headmaster, but Severus acted like he didn't notice.

"It looks as if we're all here. I trust that you found the real horcrux?" Hermione nodded at him.

"Yes, Kreacher found it. He has it now and I want him to stay with us until it is destroyed. We owe him that." Severus wanted to roll his eyes at his daughter and her nobility, but he didn't dare. He had already seen her lose her temper with Draco, the last thing he wanted was to add himself to that list. Therefore, he nodded his agreement, so Hermione turned to Kreacher.

"It's time, Kreacher. Put it on the floor in front of us. You'll get to see it destroyed along with us." Severus had just assumed that Albus would destroy the horcrux, but he didn't even seem to be able to stand up straight without leaning on something. Severus stepped closer to him and spoke softly.

"Are you capable of destroying this horcrux?" The Headmaster cast him a sidelong glance.

"No, not at this time. I was hoping that you would take the honor, Severus." He shot a look at the Headmaster, contempt clear in his gaze. When he spoke, it was with finality.

"This will be the one and only horcrux that I destroy." Albus nodded his way and drew the Sword of Gryffindor out of his robes. Severus stiffened.

"I won't be able to wield the Sword. I'm a Slytherin." Albus swatted his worried away with a wave of his hand.

"Every single one of us has the traits of all four houses in us at one point in time. I know for a fact that you were almost a lion yourself, Severus. Don't think that the Sword is prejudiced." Severus refused to rise to the bait, therefore reaching forward and grasping the Sword in his hand.

Hermione was huddled in one corner, Harry and Draco on each side of her. Her hands were clasped in theirs and he felt an odd sense of jealousy. He should have been the one comforting her, not those boys. He tamped down the feeling as he turned his attention to the locket. He didn't give anyone a warning, he swung the Sword and brought it down as hard as he could on the cursed piece of jewelry.

Black smoke emerged from the locket, a large body that he supposed was meant to be the Dark Lord. The effect wasn't all that frightening, but he guessed that maybe to the right person it would have been. Severus had seen more than his fair share of heinous acts. He thought that he was out of the woods, he had grasped the Sword in his hands once more and was prepared to swing it, when the black figure began to speak.

"You will never win the love of your daughter, she will continue to play on your emotions and use you. Once her need of you is gone, she will kill you herself. No woman will ever want you, none would have you after the heinous crimes you've committed against humanity. Your daughter can't stand to look at you, she hates you as she rightly should." The words continued, but Severus dropped the Sword. The words hit too close to home, imitating his most secret fears. It was when he hit his knees that he realized that his daughter was on her knees next to him.

"Daddy, don't listen to it. It's lying to you, I would never do that. I love you, you're my father. I wouldn't know what to do if you weren't in my life." While Severus doubted everything in his current frame of mind, he did his best to pull away from the situation at hand.

Hermione would never play with his heart, she would never lie to him. In fact, she had never lied to him in the five years that he had known him even when she knew that it would result in her being in trouble. He touched back into reality and stood on his own two feet before he grasped the Sword again. With a mighty swing, Severus brought the Sword down on the locket and it screamed a painful scream as it finally died.

What was left didn't surprise him. A locket, opened before him, blackened with the inside broken out where it could never be used again. Severus rose to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster. His daughter was right there under his arm, helping him. Once he was on his feet, she wrapped her arms around his middle and held him close.

"Don't believe any of those things. I love you, Daddy and I don't know what I would do without you. My parents loved me, and I loved them, but they weren't my true parents. I only have you left, and I need you to live, I need you to be there for me when I fight with my boys, when I need you to walk me down the aisle. I need you to be a grandfather to whatever children I might have." Severus wrapped his arms around her tightly, not caring one whit what anyone in the room thought about him hugging his daughter. She held him just as tightly, warming his heart even more.

When he finally released her, he realized that none of the other people in the room seemed to be looking down on him. They weren't judging him. He was more surprised than he would admit, but that was for another day. Once he had his faculties amongst him again, he turned to the Headmaster.

"I would say that the horcrux is dead. Are you planning to stay for dinner, Headmaster?" Dumbledore shook his head, twinkling the whole time.

"No, I must get back to the castle. The students will notice if I miss too many meals." Severus inclined his head to show that he agreed.

The three teens and Severus watched as the Headmaster flooed away from the library, back to Hogwarts. He hadn't been gone more than a few moments when the door swung open to reveal Sirius and Remus. The werewolf was the one who spoke.

"Is it gone?" Harry nodded.

"Professor Snape killed it, but it put up a fight. I think we need to keep that in mind for the next time that we need to destroy one. They're brutal." Both men nodded before Sirius spoke.

"I'm sure this is just what you wanted to hear, but Molly is finished with dinner. She said that since everyone has been up and around today she won't be sending out trays to anyone. I'm sure that Kreacher would do it if I told him to, but it would make an argument for us later." Severus sighed as he beckoned for the three teens to follow him.

"Let's go to dinner."

-O-

Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist while she let Harry wrap an arm around her shoulders. Since Draco had never been anywhere in this house aside from Harry's shower and the attic, he let the Gryffindor lead the way. He really wasn't looking forward to the meal since he was sure to catch shit from the woman Weasel.

They twisted and turned through the corridors until they reached what seemed to be the basement. When they entered the kitchen, Draco was met with several whoops and hollers from the twins and Ginny. Luna gave him a happy greeting as well, but it was much more circumspect. The fact that it made him feel like he fit in just a little bit made him grateful. Sirius, Remus, and Severus all spoke to him, but the rest of the family was mostly quiet. The eldest brother Bill was friendly when spoken to, but mostly kept to himself. Draco didn't take offense, he seemed to keep his distance from everyone at the table.

The one who surprised him the most was the patriarch of the Weasley family. Arthur made small talk with him and discussed his studies, going just a few steps further than expected to make him feel comfortable. Other members of the Order came and went through the meal, none of them deigning to speak to him even though he was seated between two of the most prominent figures with the organization. He really didn't care what they said about him, but he didn't want them to speak ill of Harry and Hermione.

The meal ended quickly, and Draco couldn't deny that the food was better than what his family house elves provided. Hermione shot him a look that said that she completely understood. Even though Draco hated to admit it, he could understand why the Weasley family ate so heartily. Once the meal ended, the adults seemed to stay at the table to discuss who only knew what. None of them were asked to stay since none of them were technically members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Draco let both Gryffindors lead him from the kitchen to Merlin only knew where. He figured that they might go back to the library for a little while, but they made their way up the staircase until they reached the third floor. Harry turned them and led them to door with feminine script on the door. It was rather belated when he realized that they were at Hermione's bedroom. The trio entered and once the door was closed and locked behind them, Hermione let out a sigh of relief.

"That was intense. I thought it was bad before Draco got here." Draco quirked an eyebrow at her.

"That was way better than I expected. Besides, we're up here now, nobody will bother us. We'll just relax together." Hermione gave him and Harry a soft smile before she went to her wardrobe to pull out a nightgown. Draco had a stroke of genius about how to relax Hermione. She wouldn't be able to do anything since most everything still caused her pain, but together he and Harry could lessen her stress. He cast a glance to Harry who was already looking at him. It seemed that their minds were in accordance.

Hermione had fished a nightgown from her wardrobe and had stripped off her stretchy pants and shirt. Draco stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent that he associated with her. He felt Harry come around the front of her and press a soft kiss to her mouth. He didn't deepen the kiss, which he wasn't sure why not, but he wasn't complaining. Draco let his hands trail softly over her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples until they hardened under his ministrations.

Hermione moaned while Harry pressed kisses down the column of her throat. Her knees threatened to buckle, Draco grinned into her neck when he felt her lock them. Harry pulled away from her neck and dropped to his knees before her. He didn't give her a chance to protest, his friend hooked his fingers underneath the edges of her knickers and pulled them down her legs. He leaned his face into the slit between her legs and inhaled deeply.

"You smell like home, 'Mi." Hermione was practically keening under Draco's fingers, plucking at her peaks and tweaking them roughly. Harry lifted one of her legs over his shoulder, so he could bury his face in her cunt. Draco knew the second that his tongue connected with her nub, a moan escaped her parted lips, her eyes slid shut, and she rested her head back on Draco's shoulder. Draco pinched her nipple roughly, rewarding him with a gasp and her eyes flying open.

"Keep those green eyes open, Princess. Watch him lick your pussy, watch him make you come all over his face." Draco continued his assault on her breasts while he watched Harry lick her.

It didn't take long for Harry to bring her to orgasm, but then it rarely did. Hermione was astonishingly responsive. Her hands buried in Harry's hair, pulling some of it out he was sure, and her moans filled the room. She couldn't form coherent words, but she was panting as she came down. Harry continued to lick her, cleaning her liquid desire from her folds. When he finally stopped, Hermione was boneless against him. Harry stood and kissed her again, this time sharing her essence with her. When he pulled away, she grimaced.

"I wish I could do the same for you both, I want to so badly, but…" Draco shushed her.

"We know you can't. We wanted to make you feel better." She nodded but pulled both of them to the bed. She guided them to sit side by side on the edge and waved her hand over their lower halves. Draco found himself naked just as Harry was beside him. Her tiny hands snaked out and took both of them in her hands.

"I can't suck them, but I can do this."

Her hand made his cock look huge. He threw his head back as she began to stroke him, first slowly, but then picking up speed. His girlfriend had discovered that he enjoyed it even more if she rotated her wrist at the head of his cock. Harry mirrored his position almost exactly, but Draco didn't pay too much attention to that.

It didn't seem like much time had passed when he exploded all over her hand, but it had been almost ten minutes. Truthfully, it was embarrassing. Hermione almost managed to make him blow his load much sooner than he wanted to. Harry wasn't far behind him. Draco was even surprised that she had been able to stroke them both at the same time and bring them to completion. To his complete and utter delight, she bent down and licked a line of his seed off her hand before turning and doing the same with Harry. Draco loved it when she swallowed his cum or licked him clean. He didn't have a good reason for it, but it was how he felt just the same.

Draco scooted up the bed, so he could burrow into one of the pillows there. He held his arms open, so Hermione could crawl up bed and join him. She snuggled into his side and very carefully shifted so she could rest her head on his shoulder. Harry snuggled up behind her, his arm thrown possessively around her waist, his hand resting on Draco's stomach. Where he thought that that would have bothered him before, it felt right now.

Draco had no homosexual thoughts whatsoever, but even he could admit that he wasn't uncomfortable with innocent touches from Harry like the one occurring now. He loved that they were all three so comfortable with each other. He sighed happily as he fell asleep with his two mates.

Life felt right when he was with them.

A/N- Holy shit, another long ass chapter. It really wasn't supposed to be this long, it just kind of grew until what you see is what you get. I hope you enjoyed it, especially the moments with Kreacher since those were my favorite! Leave me your thoughts, they make me smile.

**The note found in the fake locket was taken directly from The Half-Blood Prince. **

Next chapter, everyone returns to Hogwarts and the Slytherins stir the pot.

Love,

Alicia


	28. Chapter 28

A/N- Hello again my friends. That last chapter was a monster and I apologize. Some people have told me that they love the long chapters while some have messaged me and said that they're just overwhelming, that they don't have the time to sit down and read a chapter that long. For those out there that don't like the long chapters, I sincerely apologize. I adore long chapters, love it when one of my favorite stories updates and the chapter is more than 5,000 words. I will try to contain my chapters to an extent, but they're still going to be longer than what most people post. If you can't hang with the story, I completely understand. My life is crazy, and I happen to write on my phone. If I didn't, you wouldn't get near as many updates as you do. Lunch breaks at work are awesome for writing.

Now that that is out of the way, I want to shout out some thanks to everyone out there reading and reviewing. You people are the reason I give up my lunch breaks to write. Keep being awesome. Enough of all that now, let's get started!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. J.K.R. owns just about everything in the wonderful world of Harry Potter. I haven't made a single dime off any of my stories. Trust me, my bank account tells no lies.

Chapter 28

January 10, 1996

Hermione was excited to be leaving Grimmauld Place. She would miss Sirius and Remus terribly, but she couldn't put up with Molly and Ron in close quarters anymore. While their treatment of her and open hostility towards her had decreased exponentially, they still managed to get little digs in whenever they thought that there was nobody listening.

Hermione really wanted to lose her temper on both of them, but she didn't want to put Sirius and Severus in a bad position with Dumbledore because of her actions. While she doubted that they would honestly care about whatever Dumbledore brought to their attention, she also didn't want to make life more difficult for either man. Both had their plate full of Order business, and in her father's case, spying on the most infamous dark wizard of the age.

Therefore, Hermione bit her tongue and did her best to keep her rage in check. She didn't take their slights lying down though, she merely didn't mention them to anyone else in the house. Molly had been making her famous beef stew for dinner one night just a few days ago and had made the comment under her breath that Hermione would never make a proper wife, that Harry deserved better. When she had gotten ready to set the stew on the table, Hermione had surreptitiously waved her hand in the direction of the large pot, turning it to gruel. Molly had been embarrassed beyond measure that nobody had wanted to eat her meal and Kreacher had been thrilled when Hermione summoned him and asked him if he could prepare the whole house dinner.

In Ron's case, Hermione felt that he had gotten what he deserved as well. The Gryffindor had been happily reading in the library by herself, both of her boys upstairs in Harry's room strategizing about quidditch plays or some such nonsense. Sirius had been in the library with her, everyone still implementing the "don't leave Hermione alone" plan but had been called away by the twins for some odd reason or another. She suspected that it had to do with a prank, but she really didn't care enough to ask.

Ron had strolled into the library, probably looking for something to do since she knew that he didn't read and stumbled on Hermione all by herself. He had sneered her way and taken a menacing step forward as if to intimidate her. The fact of it was, though, that Ronald didn't scare her anymore. She had faced her grandfather down, punished two Death Eaters for their actions against her mates, and brutally murdered another. Ronald was like a small kitten compared to them.

He had insulted her choice in men, nothing new there. The situation had almost been comical until he started making fun of the scar that was visible above her shirt. She couldn't wear anything that didn't show at least the top two inches of her scar except her school uniform or a regular tee shirt. Since it was so warm in the library, she almost always had on a tank top. Tears had pricked her eyes and shame had washed over her, but she had tamped it down, resisting the urge to hex her ex-best friend. She had told him that it was a good thing that she wasn't with him, that he wouldn't have to stare at the scar before excusing herself to go sit with Sirius and the twins.

Her honorary uncle and the twins had immediately realized that something was wrong and questioned her. Hermione had finally capitulated and confessed that Ron had made a scathing comment about her scar. The three men had wanted to go handle the situation themselves, but Hermione had made them promise not to, that she wanted to handle it herself. They had reluctantly agreed.

Ron's revenge was the best.

They had all come down for breakfast in the kitchen and Hermione knew that it had been a perfect time. There had been an Order meeting the night before that had run extremely late. Most of the members had stayed the night so breakfast was sure to be packed. Hermione had tweaked one of the twin's original spells that caused a person to only speak in rhymes. She cast it at Ron as they entered the kitchen and then sat back to watch the fireworks.

Every time that Ronald spoke, an insult towards his mother came out. Not just a simple "you're cooking is terrible" kind of insult, but a "you're a fat lazy whore" kind of insult. The first couple had warranted him a warning from his mother and father alike, but it went downhill from there. Every time that Ronald tried to tell everyone that he wasn't really saying those things, more filthy insults poured from his mouth. It had ended in Molly taking her sixteen-year-old son over her knee and paddling him with a wooden spoon in front of the whole of the Order of the Phoenix.

It had been beautiful.

The twins were blamed of course. They had protested vehemently, both saying that if it had been their prank they would have loved to have claimed it. Hermione knew that they were trying to get enough products to sell in their own joke shop, something she felt they would excel in, so she knew that if they had indeed come up with something like what she had done, they most certainly would have claimed it. In the end, there was no proof, so the twins were let off without any punishment.

The pair had cornered her later and demanded to know if she had been behind it. Hermione had admitted that humiliating Ronald in front of the whole Order had been the objective. It was at this point that they had offered her a job with them, creating spells and pranks that they could sell in their shop. She would receive the credit and half the profits of anything that she created. While she knew that both Harry and Draco, not even mentioning Severus, would give her any money that she needed, she wanted to have a little bit of income on her own even if it didn't come until the end of the year when the twins opened their shop.

Hermione was pulled from her entertaining thoughts by everyone lining up to say goodbye to them. Since Ron, the twins, Ginny, and Luna would be returning when Harry, Hermione, and Draco would be, it was determined that all eight of them would return via the Hogwarts' Express. Hermione wasn't too thrilled with the notion, but there was nothing she could do about it. If they didn't return together after spending the holiday together, it would be suspicious.

Severus had been told by Dumbledore that he couldn't be seen escorting the three teens to King's Cross station, so he had handed the responsibility to Sirius and Remus. Hermione thought that it was rather mature of him since she knew that deep down he really wanted to see her off since he had missed so many opportunities in the past. Sirius, Remus, Molly, and Tonks were escorting the eight teens and Hermione could feel the tension between the adults.

Hermione was well aware of the fact that Sirius and Remus didn't much appreciate that Molly had stayed at Grimmauld Place for the whole of their holiday. Hermione hadn't minded that the twins, Ginny, and Luna were present, but she got the distinct feeling that both men had. Truthfully, Hermione thought that if it had been just those people, it wouldn't have bothered them. It was the fact that they had to deal with Molly, Ron, and the other Weasleys that were less than pleased with Draco's presence.

Honestly though, most of the Weasleys didn't patronize Draco. They accepted that he was there even if they weren't the happiest about it. It was quite obvious that Bill felt that way, and to a lesser extent, Charlie. Since Percy hadn't deigned to grace the home with his presence it was a given that he wouldn't have liked the situation. Arthur had been far more welcoming than Hermione had expected, not that she was complaining. It had been a pleasant surprise.

The Hogwarts' Express was before them, looming just as intimidatingly as it had during her first trip to Hogwarts. Hermione turned to Remus first and gave him a smile before she moved to give him a hug.

"I'll miss you, Remus. You're like the uncle I never had, and I miss our conversations. Please promise you'll write." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, quite the feat since he was over six feet tall and she couldn't have been more than 5'3" on her tip toes.

"I promise, Mina. I know you aren't mine, that privilege belongs to Severus, but you are pack. I'll be always be there for you." Hermione pulled the sides of his coat together in a motherly gesture.

"Take care of yourself. For the love of Merlin, let Tonks love you. We can all see it, just accept it. You deserve to be happy." Remus was struck silent by her words, so Hermione took the opportunity to kiss his cheek and then move on to Sirius. He opened his arms with a smile.

"How am I going to get Kreacher to do anything now that you're going back to school?" Hermione chuckled at his words.

"Very simple. You ask him nicely. I told him that it would please me very much if he took care of you and Remus, that I cared for you both very much. He grumbled a bit but agreed. Be warned, Sirius. I'll know if you're mean to him or mistreat him. He's a member of your family, you should treat him as such." Sirius rolled his eyes but hugged her close.

"I understand. You'll be very unhappy, and you'll hex my bollocks off. Perfectly clear." Hermione giggled at his words.

"I'll miss you so much while we're gone. You're family and I just want you to know that you're important to all three of us. I know Draco has enjoyed getting to know a member of his family that isn't all about blood purity." Sirius kissed her temple.

"I've enjoyed getting to see the side of him that you and Harry see, not the front that he shows the rest of the world. He's good for you, Poppet, just as Harry is. Make sure that they both treat you right." Hermione snorted as she pulled away.

"Do you see Dad allowing any less?" Sirius barked out a laugh, much the same as he sounded in his animagus form.

"Too true, Poppet." She stepped away from him and gave him a final smile.

"Take care of yourself, Padfoot. I'll see you at Easter break." He nodded and then blew her a kiss. She laughed and then made a show of catching it before she turned to Tonks.

"I know I don't you well enough to act like we're friends, but I just want to say that I hope you don't give up on him. He needs you desperately but is scared to death of ruining your life. Noble fool. Just be strong and eventually he'll cave in." Tonks gave her an astonished look.

"How did you know?" Hermione chuckled softly.

"You're very easy to read and the only person that knows Remus better than I do is Sirius. He cares for you more than he would like to admit, that's why he thinks that you're better off without him. He doesn't want to ruin your life. I hope that by Easter break, you've convinced him of what a prat he's been and you're together. Do your best to make my hopes come true." Tonks gave her a shining smile.

"I'll never give up, Hermione. No need to worry there." Hermione didn't answer but moved further down the line until she stood in front of Molly. She didn't expect a hug, or even a kind word, so therefore wasn't surprised when the woman sneered at her.

"I hope you aren't wanting well wishes from me for the next term." Hermione couldn't help but throw back her head and laugh. When she finally quieted, she met Molly's gaze and spoke in a tone that only the two of them could hear.

"No, I just wanted to inform you that I'm the one who embarrassed you in front of the whole of the Order with that slop you called stew. I'm also the one who placed that spell on Ronald which caused you to spank him like a small child in front of all of not only your peers, but his. Trust me, you won't receive another invitation to Grimmauld Place, so I hope you enjoyed living there free of charge for the length of the holidays. This is your personal warning, Molly. If you fuck with those that I consider to be mine, and that includes both Harry and Draco, Severus, Sirius, or Remus, you will rue the day you came up the idea. I know they told you what I did to Bellatrix, Remus told me that they did. Don't think you're any better. You sure haven't acted like it anyways. Just food for thought." She stepped away and gave the woman a bright smile.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Molly. I hope that you're able to keep busy while all your children are away at school. Have a good year." Her tone was overly cheerful, but she didn't care. She had wanted her stance on things to be crystal clear and she had made sure that that was exactly what had happened. She usually didn't like tipping her hand in the matter that she had, but sometimes it was necessary.

There was nobody left to bid goodbye since Severus had told them the night before that he would be leaving for Hogwarts before they even rose for the day. Hermione turned to make sure that her two boys had said their farewells and it seemed that they were finishing up. She couldn't tell the two Marauders how much she appreciated them giving Draco a chance and taking him under their wings in much the same way that they did Harry.

Once Harry and Draco had finished saying their goodbyes, neither one of them bothering to stop in front of Molly. The trio boarded the Hogwarts' Express, doing their best to find an empty compartment on the train. While they weren't necessarily against sharing a compartment with other people, it would just make life a lot easier if they had one just to themselves. Or at the very least, themselves and their friends.

They finally found one at the very end of the train. It was completely empty, so Hermione was quick to snatch it up even though the boys whined that it was so far from the loo. She stowed her luggage quickly and took a seat while the boys attempted to do the same. They hadn't even managed to all sit down before the compartment door opened and Ginny, Fred, George, Luna, and Neville filed in. It made for a tight fit, but they all managed to find seats. Hermione wasn't sure what they had done with their trunks, but she assumed that they had it under control and left it at that.

The Express took off on their journey and Hermione brought out a book to help the time pass. Neville and Draco faced off in a wizard's chess game while the rest of the compartment played a game of Exploding Snap. She had learned how to play in her first year and she could admit that she just didn't find it as thrilling as her friends did.

The first half of the journey continued in this way; playing games, sharing stories with friends, and buying treats for everyone off the trolley. Draco especially seemed to like buying more than his fair share of treats to share with his new friends. The Weasleys usually didn't like to feel as if they were being pitied because of their lack of funds, but when Draco had gifted them with their treats, it had been in a way that made them feel as if he would be offended if they didn't accept. None of the Weasleys wanted that.

It was a pleasant trip, much more pleasant than some Hermione could recall from her past. They were only two hours from Hogwarts when their compartment door slid open and Slytherins entered. Hermione groaned inwardly; the last thing that she wanted to deal with was Slytherin politics on the way back to school. Pansy, Daphne, Theo, and Blaise sneered at the odd members of their compartment, but they gave the trio a civil look. It was Pansy that broke the silence that fell over the compartment.

"Happy to see that you're alive and well, Granger. I was worried for you after I heard about Bellatrix over the holidays." Hermione glared at the Slytherin girl, wondering if this was the only punishment that the girl could get away with for taking Draco away from her. She didn't get to speak before Neville broke the silence.

"What happened with Bellatrix, Hermione?" Hermione wasn't entirely sure as to how much she should reveal to Neville. She didn't want to hurt her position as the Dark Lord's granddaughter, but she didn't want to keep major secrets from her friends either. The twins, Ginny, and Luna all knew of her true parentage. Could she trust Neville? She didn't get the chance to decide, however, since Daphne was the one to speak.

"We didn't get the details, but we learned the goody-goody Princess here killed Bellatrix. We didn't hear why, but we heard that it didn't end well for her. She's got an ugly scar to show for it." Hermione wanted to bury her head in shame. Everyone was going to know about her scar now. Who had told people? Draco and Harry both went to their feet menacingly.

"How do you think the Dark Lord would take you spreading this information?" All the Slytherin's eyes went wide at Draco's remark. Neville didn't give them a chance to explain however. He stood and moved towards the door.

"I need a moment's fresh air. Please excuse me." While Hermione understood exactly what Neville's problem was, none of the others did. Therefore, she turned a cold eye to the younger generation of would-be Death Eaters.

"Just what do you think that you're doing?" The Slytherin's looked up but didn't quite meet her eyes when she spoke.

"Shall I tell my grandfather that my cover was blown by the idiot younger generation all because they wanted to gloat in front of a harmless Gryffindor?" All the Slytherins cringed at her words. It was clear that they hadn't followed their plans through with thoughts about the conclusions that would be made from them.

The twins, Luna, and Ginny had never seen this side of Hermione, she had only shown them the side that they were used to seeing. They sat silently in the compartment next to her while she continued to rip into the Slytherin's hides.

"You had better hope that I can spin this story into something that Neville will support. If not, he's likely to tell everyone and that wouldn't be good for the Dark Lord's plans. I suggest that all of you find somewhere else to be and hope that my lying skills are better than your logic. If not, I promise you that I will not be the one writhing on the floor in pain for this one." Theo gave her a curious look, but the other three Slytherins looked terrified. It was quite comical to see that they couldn't make it through the door fast enough. Once they were gone, Hermione buried her face in her hands. Ginny was who was the brave one to break the silence.

"This isn't a huge deal, Hermione. You can trust Neville with your secret." Hermione shook her head slightly before she raised her head.

"That isn't the point. The point is that they were stupid enough to come rub it in Neville's face. How am I supposed to know that they didn't do it to anyone else? Not to mention, they did it to Neville of all people. I know they knew the history he has with Bellatrix Lestrange." Ginny and Luna both cocked their heads to the side in confusion at her words. Hermione sighed and answered before they even asked the question.

"Have you ever wondered why Neville lives with his grandmother?" Ginny's hand went to her mouth.

"Bellatrix killed them?" Hermione shook her head.

"Worse. She tortured them until they were insane. I'm not sure if they're at home or St. Mungo's, but they're still alive." Harry's eye brows went into his hairline before his face crumpled.

"That's even worse than having your parents die like mine. They're there, but they're not." Hermione didn't speak, only nodded.

The seven friends sat in quiet companionship as they waited for Neville to return. It felt like ages, but, it was only a half hour or so. When he did finally return, he was sheepish as he opened the door to the compartment and slid in. He didn't meet anyone's eyes as he took his seat. Ginny leaned over and hugged her friend before any of them said anything.

"We didn't know about your parents, Nev. Why didn't you ever tell us?" He gave a small shrug.

"I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I didn't exactly hide it, I'm not ashamed or anything, but people already pity me because I'm so hopeless at school work. I wasn't about to give them another reason." Ginny swatted his shoulder as she pulled away.

"Trust me, we wouldn't have pitied you. We've never pitied Harry and his parents were killed." Neville gave a non-committal shrug. He finally raised his eyes and met Hermione's gaze.

"I take it you're the one who knew about my parents?" Hermione nodded.

"I've known since before we started school. I got a book from Flourish and Blotts that detailed the First Blood War. That's how I knew who Harry was. It talked about your parents in there." Neville cringed at her explanation.

"You've never said anything." It was Hermione's turn to shrug.

"I figured that if you wanted to talk about it, you'd bring it up. It wasn't my place to pry into your personal life." Neville snorted but didn't comment on her words. Instead he asked her a question.

"Did you really kill that evil bitch?" Hermione raked her hands through her curls and Harry reached out to start rubbing her shoulders. She met his gaze and asked him seriously.

"I need an Unbreakable Vow that what I say to you right now doesn't leave this compartment." Neville's eyes bugged out just a little. Unbreakable Vows were nothing to joke around about so the fact that Hermione had asked for one was indicative of just how serious the matter was. After almost a minute had passed, Neville finally nodded.

"Alright, who will bond us?" Draco leaned forward, wand in hand. Hermione was glad. She doubted that Harry had any experience with them. Truthfully, she doubted that Draco did either, but she was assuming that he had at least seen a couple done since he was raised in a wizarding family with questionable morals.

Hermione held her hand out and Neville grasped it firmly in his enormous hand. His palm was sweaty, telling her exactly how nervous he was about making this Vow. Draco held his wand over their clasped hands and spoke.

"Do you, Neville Longbottom, vow to keep the contents of this conversation to yourself, speaking of it to nobody that isn't in this compartment at this moment?" Neville gulped.

"I do so vow." A thin red string of magic wrapped around their fists and tightened almost painfully. Draco's voice was steady as he finished the Vow.

"So mote it be." The red string of magic disappeared, and it was as if it had never been there.

Hermione and Neville separated, and she leaned back in her seat once more. She knew that she couldn't tell him everything, but she knew that she could tell him at least what everyone else in the compartment knew. To be truthful, the Gryffindor was nervous that Neville would hate her because of who her family was. Her grandfather had tried to kill his parents after all.

Hermione began at the beginning. She told him of her parents' death and how she had been shunted into foster care because the Headmaster had been made her guardian and was unavailable. She shared how she had made a deal with Professor Snape to brew her a paternity potion and the results that she had discovered.

Hermione had been unhappy when Neville cringed at just who her father had turned out to be, but he had quickly gotten over it. It was honestly more than she could have asked for considering the level of hell that her father put Neville through. He turned bright red with rage at the story of Ron attacking her and trying to rape her.

Hermione was quite happily surprised when she revealed that her father was indeed the son of the Dark Lord and evil wizard wanted her on his side. She enumerated her experiences with her grandfather and told him how she had extracted a promise from him that nobody would harm either Draco or Harry if she switched sides. Even though everyone else in the compartment had heard the story already, they were all sitting on the edges of their seats as she told the story.

The Gryffindor finally came to the part where Bellatrix had trapped Draco in his room overnight and tortured him for hours and Hermione's subsequent rescue. She didn't go into detail, but she made sure that the young man knew that the witch had suffered. If anyone deserved that bit of information, it was Neville. The witch had stolen his parents from him in the most cruel way possible.

When it came time for her to tell him that Dolohov had cursed her, she was embarrassed. Hermione hadn't gone to any lengths to hide her scar, she swore to herself that she wasn't that vain, but that didn't mean that she wanted everyone to know that it was there. Nobody had seen the entirety of her scar except her boys, her father, and Sirius. Sure, the rest of the house had seen the top two inches of it when she wore something other than a tee shirt, but that didn't mean that she had planned on blurting out its existence at Hogwarts.

Neville looked happy when she told him that her father had killed Dolohov on his father's orders. She had figured that that might bother him, knowing that his professor had committed murder, but it didn't seem to. Hermione finally fell silent only ten minutes away from Hogwarts. Neville gave her a disbelieving look.

"All that is true?" Hermione nodded silently as did boys her boys and the Weasleys.

"Fucking merciful Merlin, Hermione. How are you sane?" She snorted.

"Some days I wonder the same exact thing." She heaved a deep sigh.

"Now you see why I made you take an Unbreakable Vow. While the Slytherins are idiots for telling you, it really is information that can't get out. I would lose the element of surprise that may come in handy later if people were to discover the truth now. Not to mention the whole school would hate me. Well aside from the Slytherins, but it's obvious why they love me." Neville nodded and scratched his chin for a moment before speaking.

"That means that Theo is your brother. Is that why you've become friends with him?" Hermione nodded.

"Yes, that's why I originally started talking to him. Now we really are brother and sister." Neville narrowed his eyes at her and Hermione cursed inwardly. Neville had always been far more perceptive than any of the other boys.

"Does he know that you're not really on your grandfather's side?" Hermione shook her head and she felt the weight of guilt on her shoulders. She slumped slightly. She dreaded that conversation because she was scared to death that he wouldn't want anything to do with her once he discovered the truth.

"No, I haven't told him. I will eventually, but I haven't yet." Neville nodded slowly as if he knew exactly what she was thinking regarding her brother. She really hoped that he would keep his mouth shut. She ended the conversation with a reminder as to how close they were to Hogwarts. It was with a flurry of robes that they dressed. They were just in time for the announcement that the had arrived and that they would be exiting the train forthwith.

The group of eight left the Express, their trunks left behind for the elves to fetch for them. Hermione sincerely hoped that the elves just put her things in the Room of Requirement, but she wasn't holding her breath. They made their way to the carriages, splitting in two so they wouldn't be overcrowded. Neville rode with Hermione, Harry, and Draco and they all laughed as the twins both hurried along after Ginny and Luna, almost as if they were trying to keep anything dirty from occurring. She wondered if she needed to point out to the twins that while Ginny and Luna might get personal with each other, they wouldn't be getting each other pregnant any time soon.

The trip to the school was uneventful. The boys made small talk about quidditch while she watched the scenery out the little window. For some odd reason, she could see the carriage ahead of them, the one that carried the twins, Ginny and Luna, shaking from side to side. She couldn't help but laugh.

They reached the school and were shunted through the main doors by Professor Flitwick, urging them to attend the Welcoming Feast. While Hermione wasn't very hungry, she decided that it would look out of place if she didn't attend, especially since the boys would follow her lead. She could admit to herself though that stopping into the kitchens sounded much more appealing.

All eight of them made their way to the Gryffindor table and took their seats. Ron was already seated with Lavender several people down and was waiting impatiently for the Feast to begin. The conversation between the eight of them was getting louder so Hermione was quite pleased when the Headmaster finally stood up and spoke.

"We have all made it back from the Christmas holidays, our bellies fuller and our hearts happier. Let us not waste time on talk, dig in." The food appeared before them all and Hermione watched in thinly veiled amusement as the rest of her friends dug in.

Hermione placed a few items on her plate, but she really wasn't that hungry. She didn't seem to have the appetite that the rest of her friends had and refused to make herself eat more than she truly wanted. She knew she was finely boned and was what some would consider to be small, but she ate the portion of food that would normally fill someone her size.

As she ate, Hermione turned her gaze to the Headmaster. He seemed to be in good spirits, making jokes with Professor McGonagall. She couldn't help but think that he looked pale and tired. She wondered just what the potion was that he had been forced to drink. Not that she was planning on going to the cave and find out, but one did wonder.

Her father was eating heartily, something he rarely did. Hermione had never noticed him do more than pick; in fact, she had wondered how he kept the weight he had when he rarely ate. She had decided a week ago that he must take nutrition potions to make up for what he didn't eat. It was nice, though, to see him finally eat like he should.

The rest of the feast passed by without interruption. Ron glared at her, but then again, he always did. Lavender and Parvati spoke loudly amongst themselves about how tired Hermione looked and how her pale skin looked washed out. She couldn't get angry. She was sure that she did look pale, but her father had told her that time and rest was really the only cure for her exhaustion.

That was really the only symptom she had from her curse from Dolohov. Her wound was healed, the pain was still present if she did something too quickly or too crazy, and she was able to mostly act like the situation didn't bother her. It was the ever-present exhaustion that irked her. She had spoken with her father about it, who had in turn asked her grandfather what could be done about it since he was the expert in dark curses.

Severus had returned from his father's side with nothing but a simple solution. The Dark Lord had told him that while he didn't know the exact nature of the curse cast upon her, all dark spells were made to leech the strength from the person that it hit. Since it had almost killed her, it was logical to assume that it had sapped much of her strength in the time that she had been affected. Her grandfather had prescribed a healthy diet, lots of time with her mates, and plenty of rest. Hermione didn't mind his suggestions. It gave her every reason to nap several times a day while they were at Grimmauld Place.

It would be much more difficult to abide by those suggestions now that she was back at Hogwarts. Hermione had promised her father that she wouldn't do any extra studying for her O.W.L.s yet, nor would she work in the library past eight o'clock unless it was absolutely necessary. However, since she was so far ahead on her homework, she didn't see the extra time in the library being necessary.

The students were dismissed from the Welcoming Feast just over an hour after it began. Harry and Draco had put away enough food to feed a small country, the twins and Ginny eating even more. Hermione found that while Luna wasn't stick thin, she ate around the same amount as Hermione. She was what Hermione would consider to be healthy. Just outside of the Great Hall, Hermione was stopped by a hand to her arm from behind. She whirled around, no longer as laid back as she had been when it came to being startled.

"Theo! How was your holiday?" He shook his head and motioned for them to go into the nearest empty classroom. She followed him wordlessly, the boys behind her. Once inside the classroom, Draco waved his wand and cast not only a locking charm, but a silencing charm and a set of wards as well. Theo exploded at her.

"Did you really kill Bellatrix?" Hermione crossed her arms, not really liking how her brother was handling the situation.

"I did. She had been torturing Draco for hours. That bitch got what she deserved. Nobody touches Harry or Draco." Theo groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"I was hoping that it was my father embellishing things. You realize that the other Slytherins are calling you their queen?" Hermione shook her head.

"I haven't talked to any of the Slytherins except for what you were there to witness." Theo let out a nervous laugh.

"They liked you before because they wanted to gain favor with the Dark Lord, I'm fairly certain that that much was obvious. Now, they positively worship you. Everyone is saying that you are taking Bella's place as his right-hand witch." Hermione snorted.

"Next time they go on about it, tell them they don't know anything. I'm far above the right-hand witch. I wouldn't have touched that psycho bitch if she had just left Draco alone." Theo nodded, finally calm.

"I know you are, it just makes me nervous. I'm scared that they will openly start worshipping you and then the gig will be up. The Dark Lord will kill them no matter how young they are if they ruin his plans." Hermione heaved a sigh knowing exactly what it was she had to do. She had never asked it of her brother or boyfriend before, but she turned to both.

"Take me to the Slytherin common room." Both nodded, instantly understanding just what it was that she was getting ready to do.

The four of them made their way down the sets of stairs, entering the freezing cold dungeons. Hermione did like a cold room to sleep in, but to live in such frigid temperatures would never fly with her. One more reason why she was glad that she wasn't a snake. Once they reached the flat expanse of castle wall, Theo turned to make sure that she was ready. It was then that Harry spoke.

"Maybe I should wait out here." Draco shook his head.

"No, they need to see you as someone to respect. You need to be here for this." Harry gave a silent nod before turning back to Theo. Her brother turned his attention to the wall again.

"Basilisk." The wall disappeared before them, leaving a door in its wake. Hermione let everyone pass in front of her, leaving herself as last to enter.

To her surprise, her father was inside, glaring at every single one of his charges. Hermione didn't let his presence phase her or the reason behind why she was visiting. The room fell silent when they realized that she had entered, and Hermione hated how they were staring at her. She gave her father a nod before she spoke.

"There was an incident on the train where a student became over-zealous and spilled the fact that I killed Bellatrix Lestrange over the holidays. This is unacceptable. Even though I am a Gryffindor, as is Harry, I expect a certain level of loyalty from the snakes in school. You are the prodigy of my grandfather's followers, I should be able to trust that my secrets are safe in your minds. The only legilimens in this school aside from my father is Albus Dumbledore. As long as you don't make eye contact with him, you will be fine.

Essentially, I'm asking if I can trust you all to know the truth about my parentage or if I need to start obliviating the lot of you. I won't have you destroying my grandfather's plans." There was a voice in the background. It appeared to have originated from a sixth-year boy that she couldn't quite put a name to.

"Did you really peel her skin from her bones? My father said that you exploded her chest." Hermione heaved a sigh. This was the last thing that she wanted to talk about.

"Yes, both statements are true. Bellatrix did not die a pretty death, nor did she die a quick one. Let that be a lesson to anyone who dares to harm Draco or Harry." She heard both of them sigh beside her. It was obvious that their male pride was at stake and her threatening students to keep them safe was a hit to it. All the Slytherin students looked at her with wide eyes, fear lurking in their depths. Hermione tried to bring the room back to point.

"I need to know if I can trust you. If I can't trust you to keep your mouths shut, I need you to come forward, so I can obliviate you. Obviously, your Head of House can't since he is bound by certain oaths he has taken as a professor, but I can. Now is the time to decide." Nobody stepped forward and the room remained quiet. Hermione took this to mean that her secret would be safe. She gave them all a smile.

"Thank you for supporting me and my family. Your loyalty won't go unnoticed." Hermione didn't want to hang around any longer. She turned to leave but was impeded by a first year that stepped up and looked at her with fearful eyes.

"Would you really hurt us if we hurt your mates?" Even though it was an innocent enough question, Hermione knew that the whole room was listening. Therefore, she could show no weakness.

"I wouldn't hesitate to skin you alive if you hurt Harry or Draco. I hope you make the right decision. I'd much rather count everyone here as a friend." She turned to leave again but was stopped once more by Crabbe and Goyle.

"My queen, let us protect both your mates. We won't allow any harm to come to them." She could hear both Harry and Draco hissing in the background at their words. She had to bite back a grin.

"I love your enthusiasm. However, we must make things look as normal as possible. If you suddenly start protecting Harry Potter, people will become suspicious. Don't go out of your way to protect them unless you see something happen to them. If they are being injured and Slytherins don't step in to protect them, I will be most unhappy." Both boys gave a nod as they stepped back and finally let her make her way to the entrance.

Once she was outside, she realized that her father had followed them out. Hermione had honestly figured that he would. She turned to wait for his verdict on her performance and was surprised to see that he was holding his arms open. She floated into them without a second thought, inhaling the familiar scent of potions from his robes.

"You did a fabulous job. I know that wasn't easy, but they needed to be reigned in before they ended up dead. Who did they out you in front of?" Hermione snorted.

"It was everyone from Headquarters and Neville. I had to tell him the truth, but I made him make an Unbreakable Vow to keep his silence. He actually took the truth better than I thought he would." Severus snorted as he released her.

"I may get irritated with the boy in Potions, but he is a loyal friend. You did the right thing. I really do want this thing contained, but there was nothing else left for you to do." Hermione nodded and stood on her tip toes, so she could press a kiss to her father's cheek.

"I hate to cut this short, but I'm exhausted. How long did the Dark Lord say that I would suffer from the effects of Dolohov's curse?" Severus raked a hand through his hair. Hermione knew that he still blamed himself for her being hit with the curse at all.

"He didn't say. He only said that you would be able to recover with a good diet, time with your mates, and plenty of rest." Hermione gave him a soft smile and nodded. She should have known that her father was doing the best that he could for her. She reached up and kissed his cheek again.

"I don't blame you, Daddy. Stop blaming yourself." Her father sighed as he nodded.

"Make your way to the Room of Requirement so none of you get detention. I will be most displeased if you do." Hermione gave him another grin.

"Yes, Daddy. We'll see you tomorrow in Potions." He ran a hand down the length of her curls before he turned and made his way towards his quarters.

Hermione turned to see her mates glaring at her. Both took one of her arms as they began to pull her towards the stairs that would take them out of the dungeons. It was Harry that spoke first.

"You know, I'm supposed to be the Boy-Who-Lived. I defeated the darkest wizard of all time at only a year old. I swear, you protect us like we're going to keel over and die from the slightest curse." Hermione grinned slightly at his words. She really wasn't surprised at what he was saying, she was more surprised that it had taken this long for him to complain.

"I know you and Draco can take care of yourselves. What would you do if you could make sure that I was protected just a little bit more though? Would you do it even though it made me mad or would you leave me on my own?" Harry huffed loudly but didn't respond. It was in that moment that she knew that she had won. They were almost to the seventh floor when he finally answered.

"It's still a disgrace that we're hiding behind your skirts. We're both extremely capable wizards and we don't need the likes of Crabbe and Goyle to protect us." Hermione gave him a side long glance where she couldn't help but smirk.

"Well, I'll tell them to leave you on your own the next time your groupies get you cornered." Harry turned disbelieving eyes towards her.

"You're just cruel, woman. Nobody would do that." Hermione gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Stop whinging then."

The trio reached the Room of Requirement and Draco did the pacing in front of Barnabas the Barmy. When the door opened, it was like coming home. Sure, her room at Grimmauld Place was amazing, she would even say that she loved it, but the room that the Room of Requirement provided was her idea of heaven. There were windows lining every wall of the room, leaving the sun to be her alarm clock. There was a large fireplace on one wall that left a fire blazing in it always, with a large king-sized bed in the middle with the duvet in a bright blue color.

Hermione was happy to see that not only had her trunk been delivered to their room, both Harry's and Draco's had as well. Hermione started stripping clothing as she made her way to her trunk. She was standing there, looking at all her clothing, completely naked. Both boys stepped up next to her and wrapped their arms around her. She knew exactly where this was going to lead, and she couldn't say that she was disappointed.

Before either of her boys could say a word, Hermione dropped to her knees and waved her hand just enough to leave them both naked. They both gasped quietly, something that she had discovered that she loved. While she stroked Harry firmly, she turned her mouth to Draco. She put his cock in her mouth and swirled her tongue around the head just as he liked.

Hermione made sure to continue to stroke Harry as she worked her mouth up and down on Draco. The blond was groaning, making it obvious that he was enjoying himself. She could taste the precum that flooded her mouth every so often, making her more eager for the real thing.

Hermione was unsure as to how long she sucked on Draco's cock like it was her own personal lollipop, but she wasn't surprised when he exploded in her mouth. She made sure that she swallowed down everything he offered to her, slurping slightly so she wouldn't choke.

Once she had licked Draco clean, she turned to Harry's cock. Hemione didn't hesitate to take him in her mouth, giving it the same treatment that she gave Draco. Harry had his fingers buried in her hair, pulling her closer so she could take his cock deeper. She felt Draco kneel behind her and pull her closer. She couldn't hold back the gasp of surprise when he began frigging her relentlessly as she sucked Harry off.

Hermione did her absolute best to keep her attention focused on Harry's cock, but it was hard now that Draco was playing with her clit. His fingers dug deeper in her hair, pulling her closer and closer, but Draco didn't relent with his fingers in the least. She tried to give Harry the same consideration that she had given Draco, but she really didn't think that she had succeeded. This didn't stop him from blowing his load in her mouth.

Hermione gulped down his seed, doing her best to lick him clean as Draco continued to stroke her inside her knickers. She could attest to the fact that his fingers were magic. She had just pulled off Harry's cock when he had taken her clit in his fingers and did the same exact twist that she had performed on both of them.

Her world came apart, her moans splitting the silence of the Room of Requirement. Harry leaned forward and kissed her deeply, swallowing her screams of pleasure. Even though there was nobody there to listen or tattle on them for doing immoral things, Hermione appreciated this. She was still self-conscious about how much she came and how loud she was when she did it.

Hermione came down slowly, Draco stroking her slowly as if he knew that she couldn't handle anything more. Harry pulled her to her feet, so he could drop to her knees and lick her. She truly thought that he only meant to lick her clean, but that wasn't what ended up happening.

Once his tongue touched her clit, she was instantly ready to go again. She was exhausted beyond measure, but nobody had told her sex drive that she needed to rest. It was as if Harry knew exactly how she felt, because his lips attached to her clit with a purpose in mind.

He sucked the small bud into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue relentlessly. Hermione didn't have any control over her actions and keened loudly when he began to suckle at her most intimate place. It didn't take Hermione long to explode once again, her thighs wet again with her liquid arousal.

Hermione felt Draco turn her, so he could bury his face in her pussy. Harry was pressing the softest of kisses to the cheeks of her back side while Draco lazily licked her clean. It was so laid-back that Hermione wasn't quite sure what she should do next. It was decided for her when Draco finally pulled away and Harry stopped kissing her bum. Both stood and helped her up. Draco broke the silence.

"We hate it when you wear clothes to bed. We like your skin against ours." Hermione snorted slightly but gave them a nod.

If she was honest with herself, Hermione didn't like to sleep with clothing either. When she was at home, she had always slept with a sports bra and panties. Now that she had boyfriends that didn't care for clothing, she was more than happy to sleep naked or in only panties. The boys had made it quite clear that they preferred her naked.

Hermione chuckled as she climbed into the bed with nothing on. Both boys were quick to follow, both snugging up to her as she got comfortable. Harry pulled her close into his side, her head laying on his shoulder, while Draco threw his arm around her waist, his hand laying on Harry's belly.

Hermione wondered briefly if there would ever be anything between the two boys. While she could see herself being turned on if the two of them were to shag each other, she also didn't think that either of the boys would go there. Neither one of them held an attraction for the other; affection, sure. They both loved each other as brothers, but she truly didn't think that there was an attraction between them.

Hermione could only vow to be understanding and supportive if it developed in the future.

The Gryffindor was warm and safe in the arms of both her mates. She reveled in the fact that both boys seemed to enjoy touching her despite her hideous scar. She no longer doubted that they cared about her scar. Several encounters between them had made her a believer.

It was with happy dreams that she drifted off to sleep with her mates, even though she had had to be a hardarse with the Slytherins. It would keep everyone safe. Hermione's last thought was that she would do whatever it took to keep both her mates safe from both sides of the war.

A/N- So this chapter wasn't near as long as the last chapter. For the complainers, that's a good thing. Honestly though, I didn't even try to edit this chapter down. Screw the people that don't like long chapters. For those that love my story, I hope you enjoyed. Thank you for not complaining and telling me to keep up the good work. Leave me your thoughts, they make happy and keep me motivated.

Next up, Draco meets up with goblins to inherit Bella's vault and the trio finally take their relationship to a new level.

Love,

Alicia


	29. Chapter 29

A/N- Here we are with another chapter. I am so humbled by the support and feedback that y'all have shown me. To everyone out there that has followed, favorited, read, and reviewed the last chapter, you're my freaking hero. This chapter is probably going to be pretty long, just forewarning you all. We shall see…enough chatter though, on with the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. Nothing about this story belongs to me, it's all been done before whether it's J.K.R. or fanfiction writers before me. I haven't made a single dime from any of my stories, although I would admit that that would be nice.

Chapter 29

January 19, 1996

Hermione stretched languidly as she woke, her muscles appreciating the movement. Harry and Draco both stirred next to her, small grumbles escaping both their mouths. Hermione grinned to herself. Neither one of her boys were morning people.

Her mind went to their plans for the day. Hermione was a little nervous, but there was no way that she could afford to let it show. She would have to be strong for the sake of appearance. While she hated putting on a front, there really wasn't much that she could do about it.

Draco had received a missive from Gringotts several days ago, informing him that since he was Bellatrix Lestranges' only listed heir, he would need to come to the bank and sort out exactly what he wanted to do with the contents of her personal vault. Since he wasn't of age yet, he had to have a parent available to help him make his decisions.

Hermione could only imagine that Rodolphus Lestrange had been less than pleased with the fact that not only had his wife kept her own personal vault that he had no access to, but she had left it to her nephew instead of him. Hermione might have commiserated with him but for the fact that the slimy bastard had tried to attack her father when Draco had been being tortured. She still grinned just a tiny bit when she thought about both Lestrange brothers being tortured at her grandfather's wand for their traitorous actions.

Hermione was quite certain that she was going to go to hell for these horrid thoughts that she had, but both her boys and her father had told her that she wasn't. Harry had confessed to being thrilled that Bellatrix was dead for what she had done to Draco, and words couldn't express how happy he was that Dolohov had suffered quite a long time at Severus' wand. Her father had admitted to having no guilt for the atrocious things that he had done to Dolohov. He then informed her that if she was going to go to hell, then he would most certainly be heading that way with her. Hermione had finally capitulated and tried to push the bad thoughts to the back of her mind.

Since she was still under orders to spend as much time with her mates as possible, Hermione and Harry would be traveling to Diagon Alley with Draco. Hermione was feeling better than she had since she had been cursed, but she still had to take a nap during the afternoon. She hated feeling like she was weak, but she truly had no control over it. Everyone assured her that it was normal, but she still didn't like feeling like a toddler when Harry and Draco ordered her to the Room of Requirement after their afternoon class to take an hour nap. She wondered how that would work today since she had a feeling they would be gone for the entirety of the day.

Originally Narcissa was going to be the one to escort the trio to Gringotts since Bellatrix had been her sister. However, once the Dark Lord had heard that his granddaughter and her two mates would be going to Diagon Alley, he had insisted that Lucius be the one to escort them, so they would be safer. Hermione wasn't sure if she was irritated or flattered by her grandfather's care for their safety, but it didn't change the fact that she was just a little less than thrilled that she would have to try to keep the peace between herself and Lucius.

Draco had assured her more than once that his father wouldn't dream of being disrespectful or hurt either herself or Harry in any way. Hermione had felt like a complete bitch when she pointed out that Lucius had had no problems hurting Draco and he was his son. While she had felt terrible after she said it, it was still the truth. Hermione had apologized anyways, as sincerely as she could since Lucius was still Draco's father. She didn't want his family to be one of the reasons that they fought.

Hermione crawled to the bottom of the bed, naked as the day she was born. The night before had been intense, neither boy satisfied with the two orgasms she usually received from their sessions. They had been relentless, both taking turns between her legs, their mouths and fingers working their magic on her. The Gryffindor had lost count after four orgasms. At the end, Hermione had finally broken down and cried, begging them to stop because she literally couldn't take anymore. While they hadn't made her come again, both licked at her slowly, taking their time in bringing her down from her two hour long high.

Hermione headed to the shower that the Room provided for them. She turned on the tap, giving it a minute to warm up before she crawled in. The Gryffindor washed off quickly, not wanting to take so long that neither of the boys could take a shower before they were due to meet Lucius. Draco's father would be meeting them in Severus' quarters, Lucius refused to meet them in Dumbledore's office, so they had quite a trek to get down there.

Hermione crawled out of the shower as soon as she was finished, toweling off quickly so she could call one of the elves for breakfast. Once she was back out in the room, both of her boys were awake and conversing softly between them. Hermione was still surprised some days at just how close the two had become in the short time since term had begun. Hermione watched as they realized that she was there, in only a towel to hide her modesty. Not that she really had any left. Both boys stared openly, Draco coming out of it first when he saw her head towards the wardrobe that housed her clothing.

"We already called Dobby. He'll be back momentarily with breakfast." Hermione shot him a grateful glance. One more thing she didn't have to worry about. Harry stood and started for the bathroom to take a shower Hermione assumed. Draco stood and began searching through his clothes, so he could lay out something to wear.

Hermione didn't know exactly what she wanted to wear. She wanted to desperately impress both of her boys, it was like their first date despite Lucius' presence. She wasn't sure if she should keep her cover as a muggleborn and dress that way, or if she should say hang it all since she knew that Lucius would be there and go with witch's robes. Hermione started just a tiny bit when Draco wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hand slipping inside her towel, so he could lightly stroke her right nipple. Hermione bit back a soft groan before Draco spoke in her ear.

"What's the problem?" Hermione made her head clear even though Draco's hand was still sending little jolts of lightning through her body.

"I'm not sure if I should keep my disguise as a muggleborn up and go with muggle clothes, or if I should go with witch's robes that would show your father, and by extension my grandfather, that I have embraced his way of life. He would keel over if he saw me in jeans." Draco pulled away from her after tweaking her nipple roughly. There was no holding in the gasp that his actions caused.

"I think that you should go with muggle clothing. When my father gives you that signature look of distaste that he is so very good at, tell him that you thought it best to keep your cover as Hermione Granger, muggleborn extraordinaire. Even he won't be able to hold that against you, especially if he thinks the Dark Lord would agree with you." Hermione gave him a nod as she bent to get back in the wardrobe now that a plan of action had been decided on.

"Thanks, Drake."

The door to the bathroom opened and Harry came through, wrapped in his own towel. His hair was still dripping a little bit down his back and chest, but he was dry for the most part. He shot Hermione a wolfish grin before he waved Draco in the direction of the shower. Harry went to his own wardrobe while Hermione continued to rummage.

The Gryffindor finally decided on a pair of dark wash blue jeans that fit her like a glove. There were tiny rhinestones on her back pockets and at the bottom of her pant legs, making them pop. There was absolutely no way that she would be mistaken for anything other than a muggleborn. She paired them with a bright blue tank top and a blue plaid long-sleeved button up shirt over the top. She left that button up shirt unbuttoned, letting the brilliant color of her tank show through. She finished the ensemble with a pair of black Converse, a pair of shoes that her muggle father had insisted everyone needed a pair of. He had been right; they were probably the most comfortable pair of shoes that Hermione had ever owned.

With a wave of her wand, her hair dried itself and hung heavy down her back in ringlet curls. She pulled the top half of her hair back, letting the world see her face, while the rest stayed down. Hermione could admit that she looked pretty good. She had never considered herself to be pretty before, but since her glamour had been removed, Hermione at least felt like she could compete with the real beauties of the school like Ginny, Cho Chang, and Lavender. She knew that it wasn't a contest, that it shouldn't be, but the fact that she felt just a little bit pretty was a new concept for Hermione.

Dobby popped in at that moment, plates wobbling dangerously in his hands. Hermione rushed forward to help him, the elf giving her a grateful smile. Harry came over after pulling on a set of black trousers and a bottle green shirt to go with it. He had cast robes over the top of them, however, leaving Hermione to be the only one decked out as a full muggle. For some inexplicable reason, this made her nervous.

The pair had just sat down to eat when Draco emerged from his shower completely dressed with his hair styled to boot. Hermione could only laugh to herself. Draco was definitely the one with fashion sense in their relationship. In his defense, however, Draco knew what was expected of him by his father and his reputation so there really wasn't much of a choice for him.

Draco joined them, and the trio ate quickly. Hermione didn't eat much, just a piece of toast and a bowl of fruit. Both boys put away a full English breakfast, unsurprisingly. To their credit, they were able to eat everything and finish at nearly the same time that Hermione did. She warned them that their stomachs were going to hurt, but both waved off her dire predictions.

The three of them retrieved their cloaks and left the Room of Requirement, heading from the seventh floor clear to the dungeons. There were no mishaps along the way, but it still took them ten minutes to find themselves in front of her father's door. Hermione did the honors and knocked softly. The door swung open soundlessly and the trio found themselves face to face with Severus and Lucius.

Severus was dressed as he always was in his teaching robes and frock coat. Lucius dressed much the same as Draco did, only far more upscale. His long hair looked immaculate, down to just past his shoulders and for once in her life, Hermione realized that he didn't have a sneer on his face. Her father gave her the once over and nodded.

"Very good, Hermione. Nobody will suspect your true parentage dressed like that. Until you can become a public figure, this is how you will need to dress." Hermione threw her father a grateful look and to her great surprise, Lucius nodded as well.

"Very good strategy, Miss Riddle." Hermione hated herself for it, but she blushed just a tiny bit.

"It was Draco's idea, I probably would have gone for the witch's robes and said hang it all. My father would blame my Gryffindor nature." Both men chuckled softly. Hermione just wanted to hurry up and leave so they could up and get back. Lucius gestured for them all to head towards the door, but Severus stopped him with a hand to his arm.

"You're taking my daughter and Black's godson. Make sure you keep them safe. Neither I nor Black will be too forgiving if anything happens to them." Lucius looked startled for a moment but nodded.

"When did you become such good friends with Black?" Severus gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I wouldn't say that we're friends, but we both care for our charges. Not to mention, I think he and the wolf could be swayed to our side. They are much less enamored with the Order of the Phoenix since they discovered just what Dumbledore is capable of." Lucius smirked at his old friend.

"I'll keep all three children safe, Severus." Her father gave him a serious nod before he sent a small smile Hermione's way. Not even a second later, it was gone.

The trio made their way out of the dungeons, heads turning when they say the odd foursome making their way to the Entrance Hall. Hermione stayed between both her mates while Lucius led the way as if he hadn't been away from Hogwarts for almost twenty years. It was just outside of the Great Hall that Ronald walked out with Lavender beside him and saw them getting ready to leave. His eyes bugged out of his head and a bright red flush took over his ears, face, and neck. He stormed up to the trio and spat out his words like they were venom.

"I can't believe that either one of you would even consider going anywhere with this low-life scum Death Eater. You told us yourself, Harry, Malfoy senior was in the graveyard when You-Know-Who returned." Hermione could see that Harry was truly lost for words, that he had no idea how to respond. Draco didn't seem to be doing much better. She knew that if Lucius spoke the situation would only get worse. Therefore, Hermione stepped forward and looked up to meet Ronald's eyes. With a wave of her hand, she cast a silencing spell around them since she knew that Ronald couldn't keep his mouth shut at the best of times, let alone when he was mad.

"You know nothing about Lucius. It wouldn't do for you to run off at the mouth against Dumbledore's wishes." She really didn't want to clue Lucius into the fact that she had told the redhead about her true parentage, but there wasn't much else she could say to dissuade him. It didn't work.

"You're behind him now because he's best friends with precious grandpa. Don't lie to me, Hermione, you were never good at it. Watch what you say to people lest you end up in over your head." It was at this point that Lucius stepped forward and his wand appeared out of his sleeve just enough for him to point it underneath Ron's chin. Nobody else could see exactly what was going on and for that, Hermione was grateful. Lucius' voice was low, and she could hear the threat in his words.

"I don't give two flying fucks what Hermione has told you, but I'm warning you right now that the only reason you aren't dead on the floor before your girlfriend is because there are too many witnesses. I come to you with a warning and a promise. The warning is that you should watch your back. Since your attack on the Dark Lord's heir, he put a reward on your head. All the Slytherins are just waiting for a chance to kill you. The promise is that if you touch Hermione in any way unless she asks, I will kill you personally and let me tell you that it won't be quick." Hermione couldn't believe that they were having this conversation in the Entrance Hall. She would only admit to herself though that she appreciated Lucius' words. She hated dealing with Ron and he had taken the burden from her. Ron, however, snorted.

"Of course, you'd say that. You want to remain loyal to your Lord. If Hermione wasn't who she was, you'd be the first to cast an AK at her." It was at this point that Lucius leaned even further down so he could whisper in Ron's ear.

"Think what you want. That being said, I look forward to the day that you fuck up and try to hurt her again. If she doesn't kill you, Severus and I will." Lucius didn't give Ronald a chance to speak, just turned to motion for the three of his young charges to follow him.

The elder Malfoy led the three of them from the castle and across the grounds to the front gate. Nobody spoke, but Hermione knew that someone needed to. She didn't think that Draco would, he was used to being punished when he spoke out of turn. She didn't know if Harry would be eloquent enough with his words, therefore offending the older man. That left Hermione. Even as Lucius reached for her's and Draco's hands to apparate, she met his gaze.

"I want to thank you, Mr. Malfoy. Usually run-ins with Ronald are much messier. I appreciate your words. I'll make sure to pass on to my grandfather your good deed." Hermione was caught completely off guard when Lucius gave her a small smirk.

"Let us not mince words, Miss Riddle. I know you don't support your grandfather, you're not the type of person to change your morals just because of your paternity. If you were, you wouldn't have cared about that girl I was raping. You're searching for a way to destroy him and I want you to know that you have my support." Hermione's stomach turned just a little at the memory of Lucius raping that young muggle girl. She didn't let it show, however.

"Why do you rape young girls when your wife is so beautiful? You could have her whenever you want, surely you possess the charm needed to get her in your bed." Lucius rubbed a hand down his face and sighed. She had a feeling that she wasn't going to like the answer that he gave.

"When we were just married, Cissy and I made a pact. We didn't love each other. We would only be with each other until an heir was conceived. Then we would follow our own pursuits, remaining friends so we could co-parent Draco. I met and fell in love with a muggleborn girl. She discovered what I was and left me. The Dark Lord found her, and I was forced to rape her sister in front of her while Dolohov raped and then killed her. It tore me apart. I haven't been able to have consensual sex since." While both boys looked astounded, like they couldn't believe their ears, Hermione was tearing up. There was no way that Lucius Malfoy would admit to loving a muggleborn if it wasn't true. Hermione couldn't help herself and though she was sure that Lucius would be uncomfortable, she didn't care. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close. Both of her boys looked on in incredulous bewilderment, unsure of exactly what to do with the circumstances. Lucius, however, wrapped his arms around her shoulders reluctantly, almost as though he feared what would happen if he touched her. When he wrapped around Hermione, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Do you have a problem with muggleborns still, Mr. Malfoy?" Lucius was slow to answer.

"I'm not sure. I never imagined having children with Mara, but after she was gone, that was all that I could think about. If I had been given a second chance, I fear I would have ran from Narcissa right into her arms." Hermione was thrown by the simple honest statement from the man. It was entirely unexpected.

"I must demand an Unbreakable Vow, Mr. Malfoy." He released her shoulders to make sure that she saw him nod. He held his hand in front of her and it was Draco once again that stepped forward to be their bonder.

Lucius promised to keep her true allegiances a secret, to help in any way that he could, and to do all that he could to make sure that they succeeded in their endeavor. When it was all done and over with, Hermione turned a curious eye his way.

"Why would you side with me over my grandfather?" Lucius met her gaze.

"There are prophecies about you and your children. I won't say that I love that you're not a pureblood, but I will say that both you and your children have been foreseen to be great. I won't do anything to keep that kind of power from being in my family. The fact that this union connects us with Mr. Potter as well doesn't hurt." Harry snorted at the man's words but otherwise remained silent. Hermione gave the man a satisfied nod and held out her hand to him.

"Shall we proceed, Mr. Malfoy, daylight is wasting, and we have a few places to go before the bank." He snorted on his own, an indelicate sound that was out of place on such a sophisticated man but took her hand anyways. Draco took his father's other hand while Harry grasped his elbow from behind. It was with a twist that was becoming all too familiar that the foursome disappeared.

-O-

Draco couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. His father had hugged Hermione and bared a piece of his soul to her. All of this before consenting to an Unbreakable Vow regarding their true loyalties. It boggled his mind and there was nothing else that he could say to describe it.

His father's story left him confused. His mother had been pregnant with him at the time of his father falling in love with a muggleborn witch. It was obvious that his father had taken other lovers. Had his mother? Was his whole life a lie? He hated the fact that he questioned it all, but truly, what other choice did he have?

Draco tried to shove it all to the back of his mind as they landed in Diagon Alley. They were just outside of the Leaky Cauldron, the only apparition point on the Alley. Draco was quite certain that it was put there on purpose to keep track of just who arrived with whom, but he had no definitive proof. His father's voice broke through his silent musings.

"Where were the three of you wanting to go before the bank?" Hermione was suddenly shy, not wanting to inconvenience Mr. Malfoy by stopping at the bookstore for hours on end. Draco, however, had no such problems.

"Harry and I would like to stop at the quidditch shop and I'm sure that Hermione has at least a dozen books that she wants to look for at Flourish and Blotts. I'm sure that ice cream at Fortescue's wouldn't go amiss either." Hermione chuckled softly to herself. Draco was definitely the spoiled brat that he appeared to be. Lucius nodded briefly before he spoke.

"Alright, we'll split up. Mr. Potter and Draco will go to the quidditch shop just across the way. You may spend a couple hours there. I will go with Miss Riddle to Flourish and Blotts and spend the same amount of time. We will meet up at Florean's after the two-hour mark and head to Gringotts." Draco, while surprised at his father's words, nodded. There was no way that he wasn't going to agree to himself and Harry being left alone unsupervised in the quidditch shop with unlimited funds. He knew that while Harry lived off his trust fund, there was a massive fortune behind the trust. Therefore, neither could complain that they had limited funds in the quidditch shop. Just as he realized that he and Harry would be free, he realized that Hermione would be stuck with his father. He almost felt sorry for her before Draco noticed that his father didn't really seem all that interested in the quidditch shop. Draco stepped forward and broke the silence.

"Harry and I will go to Quidditch Through the Ages while Hermione goes to Flourish and Blotts with my father. We each have two hours before we meet at Fortescue's Ice Cream." Everyone nodded, including his father. Strange as it was, he trusted what his father said in what he would do regarding Hermione. Hermione seemed to feel the same so Draco didn't feel as bad about just nodding as he probably would have if things had been different.

With a reluctant wave, Draco bid his girlfriend goodbye, hoping that his father would keep his word and keep her safe. Draco and Harry made their way to the quidditch store quickly, knowing that there was a time limit in effect to their browsing and shopping. Draco hoped that Hermione wasn't offended, hoping that she would enjoy their time together.

Draco and Harry entered the quidditch shop, both doing their best to keep the attention away from themselves. While they knew that they couldn't hide their identities, to bring unwanted attention to themselves would only make this endeavor more difficult. Both spent an exorbitant amount of money on things that they felt they needed for their season in quidditch and things that both just wanted. It was probably the most fun that Draco had had with a male friend in his life.

Sure, Theo and Blaise always did things with him, Theo more so since his father felt that Theo was better company being from the Sacred 28. They got into their fair amount of trouble, but the underlying expectations that both men had for their boys was ever-present. It could really be a mood killer. Hanging out with Harry was a completely different experience since he didn't feel like he had to impress anyone, he could just do as he pleased and enjoy life as it came to him.

At the two-hour mark, Harry and Draco reluctantly left the quidditch shop. They were eager to get their purchases back to Hogwarts, so they could try them out. Since they weren't allowed to use magic, the two boys had to manhandle their bags in a most undignified manner, making Draco vow to ask his father to shrink their belongings. Harry heaved one of his bags up further towards his elbow as he spoke.

"How do you think 'Mi did with your dad?" Draco shrugged.

"I'm guessing that she did what she usually does and tunes the world out, so she can get the perfect book." It was at this point that he realized something.

"Harry, we didn't give her any money. I hope my father pays for whatever she wants." Harry cast him a side-long glance as Fortescue's Ice Cream came into sight.

"Hermione is a millionaire on her own. Her muggle parents left her everything they had and they both had very lucrative life insurance policies. I believe that she sold the practice that her parents owned and made even more. I do know that she kept the house they lived in together, she didn't know what she wanted to do with it at the time. Her parents also bypassed having an adult take care of her finances until she was of age. They had everything she got from them transferred to Gringotts when they died. Not to mention, I have a feeling the Professor Snape is well-off too." Draco couldn't believe that he didn't know any of this. Why hadn't he thought to ask? He slid into a chair inside Fortescue's, his bags landing in a heap on the ground next to him.

"Severus is rich. His mother was a Prince, that probably doesn't mean much to you, but they were very influential. His mother brought disgrace to the family when she became pregnant with a muggle's baby outside of wedlock. Severus' grandfather found the muggle and used the Imperious on him, made him marry his daughter. The man was a drunk and treated both Eileen and Severus badly. Since Severus' mother had brought shame to her family, she was skipped in inheriting when her parents finally died. Everything went to Severus. He isn't as rich as the Malfoys, Blacks, Notts, or even the Potters, but he's better off than the Crabbes, Goyles, Parkinsons, and Greengrass'." Draco could tell that Harry hadn't been expecting that.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when Hermione and his father came into view, no bags visible at all in their hands. Draco was jealous. They both took their seats quickly next to Harry and Draco, Hermione smiling widely and Lucius smirking in her direction. Draco cocked his head to one side.

"What's so funny?" Hermione let out a giggle.

"On the way over here, we were discussing the fact that you would be irritated because you would have to manhandle all your bags by yourself. Judging by the sour look on your face when we walked up with no bags, it's obvious that we were right." She started giggling again and Draco couldn't believe it. She had teamed up with his father just to make fun of him. He didn't say anything, merely shook his head at the level of amusement that she was getting from this.

The foursome ate their ice cream quickly, though it was more of a lunch if Draco wanted to be honest. Draco, Harry, and his father ate all their cones, and Hermione almost finished hers. It was with dread in his chest that they set off to Gringotts to meet with the goblin in charge of his late aunt's vault.

They entered the bank to find it bustling with activity. Witches and wizards all bustled around, heading to and from the carts that would deliver them to their vaults, goblins were hurrying all over behind the desk that separated them from their customers. His father steered the three of them to the line that had the least amount of people in it. They weren't there long before one of the other goblins waved them over to try to get them waited on faster.

"Greetings, Mr. Malfoy. What can we help you with today?" Lucius sniffed imperiously at the goblin before he spoke.

"My son needs to see Grogg. It is regarding the inheritance left him by his late aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange." If it was possible for the goblin to cower, this one it. It was obvious that the goblin knew exactly who Bellatrix was and just what she was capable of. He croaked out a response before disappearing behind the desk, only to have a much older goblin appear.

"Mr. Malfoy, I assume that you are here to help your son with deciding what to do about his inheritance." Lucius nodded. Grogg motioned for them to meet him at the end of the desk so they could follow him.

"Let us visit the vault in question. Once there, I will enumerate what holdings are passing to your son." Draco watched his father nod once more before he allowed the goblin to lead them to a cart. He eyed the three teens suspiciously but remained silent on the matter.

Draco felt his stomach lurch when the cart took off. He never understood how he could do numerous rolls on his broom and be perfectly fine, but the carts in Gringotts made his stomach want to heave its contents onto the floor. The ride wasn't as long as it usually was when he went with his father to their family vaults, but it was safe to say that Bellatrix had been worth a fair amount. They stopped on the bottom floor and headed in the opposite direction of the Malfoy vaults. He could hear the dragon down by his father's vaults screeching in pain and he hoped that Hermione had no idea what the sound was.

Once the cart came to a stop, Draco looked up to see the number 9 on the door of the vault. Grogg waited patiently for everyone to empty from the cart before he turned to the door and ran his hand down the length of the locks protecting its contents. The door swung open and Draco stepped forward to see exactly what he had inherited.

It wasn't that he needed the money from his aunt, or even the fact that he wanted it. For Draco, it was what he was getting rather than his uncle Rodolphus, who had done his level best to harm his godfather, and if he had succeeded in that endeavor, he knew the man would have tried to hurt Hermione. Therefore, if he could screw his uncle over, he was all for it.

The four of them and Grogg stepped into the vault. It was packed full of gold with books, scrolls, and jewelry off together on one wall. There were swords, shields, cups, tiaras, and watches laying everywhere amongst the piles of gold. Draco began to wander around aimlessly as Grogg began.

"This vault contains 4,546,287 galleons, 687,413 sickles, and 473 knuts. There are four swords, three shields, seven cups, ten tiaras, and forty watches. There are eight jewelry boxes that are full of jewels as well as forty scrolls and 356 books. Feel free to look around so you can decide what you would like to do with the contents." Draco continued his wandering as he spoke.

"What are my options?" Grogg glanced at Lucius who gave him an imperceptible nod.

"You have your trust vault, so you may move these contents into your vault. You may move the contents into your family vault. You may also keep this vault and leave the contents inside. We would simply change the name on the vault and you could access it whenever your father or mother deemed it necessary." Draco was getting ready to speak when there was a loud crash in front of him.

Harry had stumbled against one of the shelves of tiaras, his hand clutching his forehead. Tiaras hit the ground and rolled, but the Gryffindor didn't seem to even notice. Draco hurried over to his friend, much the same as Hermione was. Both wrapped an arm around him and helped him stand. When Harry spoke, his voice was strangled.

"There's one in here. I can feel it. We have to find it." Hermione stiffened next to him. Draco knew that they were going to have to send the goblin out, so they could search. Once Harry was on his feet, Draco turned to the goblin and spoke in his haughtiest voice.

"Leave us, Grogg. We shan't be long. I need to speak with my father." The goblin gave him a stiff nod before he stepped out of the vault and closed the door, so they would have privacy. As soon as it was closed, Draco turned back to Harry and Hermione.

"Which direction is it, can you tell?" Harry pointed to the wall that was laden with all the treasures on shelves. The three teens started for the wall when Lucius spoke.

"Just what in the devil is going on here?" Hermione glanced to Draco, but he winced. He had heard that tone of voice from his father countless times throughout his childhood, and what followed if he didn't get his way usually wasn't good. In just that brief glance, Hermione seemed to understand completely. She turned to face Lucius.

"Remember your Vow to me. There is something in this vault that is keeping the Dark Lord anchored to this world. We must find it and destroy it." Lucius stared at her for several long moments before he glanced Harry's way.

"Potter can feel them?" Hermione gave a nod but said nothing else. None of them wanted to think about just why this was. After a few more moments, his father nodded.

"Let's get to searching."

-O-

Harry couldn't believe that they had stumbled onto a horcrux during a simple trip to Gringotts. Although when he thought about it, he could say that they should have seen it coming. Bellatrix had been one of Voldy's most loyal supporters. Lucius had been gifted one and it made perfect sense that she would have received one for safekeeping as well.

The four of them were currently searching the wall that was covered in shelves and shelves of trinkets. It had been ten minutes since Draco had kicked the goblin out of his vault, and Harry knew that they were running out time before he reopened the door to figure out what they had decided. He was doing his best to scan all the items as quickly as they could, but the evil bitch that had owned the vault before Draco had been a bit of a hoarder.

Harry was just about to call off the search and tell them that he must have been confused when his fingers trailed against a small golden cup that had a badger etched into the gold. The complete sense of wrongness soaked into his skin and in that moment, Harry knew. He grasped one of the handles and pulled it to him. It gave him the creeps, made his skin crawl, but there was nothing else he could do about it.

"I found it." The other three people inside the vault made their way to his side so they could peer at the cup. Lucius breathed in sharply, his features going impassive.

"I believe that is Hufflepuff's cup, the famous one that she is known for. It hasn't been seen in decades. To hear tell, it was stolen from an old woman who was a descendant." Harry really didn't care who it had belonged to, he simply wanted to get it back to Hogwarts, so they could destroy it. He turned to Draco and let him stuff it in his deep inner robe pocket. As if realizing that he wasn't going to get any more information about the cup, Lucius met his son's eyes.

"What do you want to do with the vault?" Draco shrugged.

"Just have them move it all to my trust vault. I don't want to worry about more than one vault until I'm taking over the family business." Lucius grinned his way, the first time that Draco could remember him grinning at him since he had been a small child. After a quick nod, his father knocked on the vault door and it promptly opened, showing that Grogg had waited outside for them the whole time.

The four of them filed back out of the vault, Draco hiding that he had a cup stashed away in his robe pocket. They climbed back into the cart that they had arrived in and started them on their way back to the bank. The twists and turns made Harry's stomach churn, making him regret the ice cream that he had eaten before coming to Gringotts. Once they were back inside the bank, Grogg turned to Draco.

"What did you and your father decide that you wanted to do with vault nine?" Draco glanced at his father for a moment before he spoke.

"Just move all the contents to my trust vault. The less keys I have to worry about, the better." Grogg gave him a respectful nod.

"Is there anything else that I can do for any of you today?" Harry shook his head. He had taken more than enough money out of his vault during the summer when they went shopping and Sirius had thrust even more his way when he had boarded the train after Christmas. Hermione made a similar motion while Draco waited for his father to answer. It was a given that Draco didn't need any more money. Lucius spoke.

"No, this concludes our business for today. The Malfoy family thanks you for your wonderful care of our vaults." Harry didn't know if that was the traditional response to a goblin, but Grogg seemed happy with it.

The four of them left Gringotts in a hurry, making their way to the Leaky Cauldron. Both Harry and Draco had to reach out and steady Hermione since her legs weren't near as long as the rest of theirs. She struggled keeping up. They made good time getting to the Cauldron through the crowds of people all along the Alley. This time, Harry didn't hesitate to reach out and grab Lucius' elbow, so he could apparate them back to Hogwarts.

Once they were outside the gates of Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, and Draco all let go the elder Malfoy. Harry had had serious misgivings about going with the man rather than Narcissa, but it had turned out to be a pleasant outing. The gates swung open, allowing the four of them entrance back into Hogwarts. They had all just stepped past the gates when Lucius spoke.

"If I'm correct as to what it is that my son is hiding in his robes, I need to know more. How many are there? What can I do?" Harry turned to Hermione, as did Draco. She rolled her eyes at both of them before turning back to the elder Malfoy.

"We can't give you the details, but there are more out there. Just keep your eyes and ears open and see if you can get any information about them." Harry wanted to laugh at the fact that Lucius looked like he was about to pout but thought better of it. He gave a resolute nod.

"As you wish, Miss Riddle. Do you have the proper channels to go about destroying that and any others you may find?" Hermione nodded with a small smile.

"Absolutely. This isn't the first one we've found." Harry snorted when he saw the eyes on the older Malfoy bug out just a little. Remembering himself and the image he needed to uphold, Lucius slid his impassive mask back onto his face. Hermione tugged on Harry's arm as they reached the castle doors.

"I need you to send a patronus to my Dad. Tell him to meet us in Dumbledore's office." Harry gave her a nod and could feel the eyes of both Malfoys on him. He tried to pay them no mind as he gathered his happy thought, the current one being of himself, Hermione, and Draco from the night before. As he cast the charm, the brightest stag that he had ever seen burst from his wand and pranced around them lightly. Harry leaned over and spoke to Prongs.

"Go to Severus Snape and tell him that he is needed in the Headmaster's office immediately." The stag swung his head around before he cantered off into the castle. Just as Hermione was about to open the door to the castle, Lucius spoke.

"I think I will bid you farewell here. I doubt that your esteemed Headmaster would be thrilled at the fact that I have an idea of just what it is that you are all up to. Tell whatever lies you must to make him unsuspecting of you and myself." He paused for effect, meeting all their eyes, even Harry's.

"I won't tell you not to do what you're doing because it's going to boil down to the fact that someone has to do it. I am going to warn you to be careful, more careful than you've ever been in your lives, and watch out for each other. If I hear of anything regarding these items, I will owl Severus." Hermione gave him a soft smile and stepped forward to hug him briefly.

"Thank you, Lucius. I had fun with you today. Your help will prove to be invaluable." He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder before he turned to Draco and Harry.

"Watch after her, boys. I leave you now. Farewell, Draco." Harry gave the man a nod before he turned on his heel and started back towards the gates. The three of them stood there for several seconds before Hermione grabbed their hands and practically dragged them through the doors.

The trio made their way through the castle towards the second floor where Dumbledore's office resided. Harry really didn't want to have to deal with the scheming old man, but there really wasn't much that he could do about it. He had the Sword of Gryffindor and that was currently their only weapon to use against the horcruxes.

They finally made it to the griffin that guarded the Headmaster's office and Harry stepped forward to knock on the door. It swung open soundlessly to reveal that the Headmaster and Professor Snape were there. The former was sitting behind his desk drinking a cup of tea while the latter was pacing before the fire. The professor stepped forward and cupped Hermione's cheeks in his palms, making sure that she wasn't injured in any way. When he found nothing, he blew out a sigh of relief before snapping back to attention.

"What the bloody hell constitutes asking me to meet you here immediately if nobody is harmed?" Hermione laid a small hand on her father's chest before sliding her gaze over to Draco and nodding. The blond withdrew the cup from his inner pocket and set it on the Headmaster's desk.

Both men just started at the cup of Hufflepuff. The trio remained silent and waited for one of the men to break the silence. It seemed like forever, but, couldn't have been longer than thirty seconds, before Severus finally spoke.

"Where in the bloody hell did you find that?" Harry and Draco both looked to Hermione who once again rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you two capable of answering questions?" They shook their heads knowing that it would amuse her slightly. She huffed but turned her attention back to her father and the Headmaster.

"We were visiting Bellatrix's vault that she left for Draco. Harry could feel that it was close. We searched the vault and Harry found this." The Headmaster was quick to bring his head up to eye them all.

"Does Lucius know that you have this?" Harry shook his head this time.

"No, sir, He was speaking with the goblin when I discovered it. I handed it to Draco and he hid it before we left." The old man gazed into his eyes just long enough for Harry to realize that he was trying to peer into his mind and see if he was telling the truth. A shot of fury washed over him, making his voice hard.

"If you didn't believe me, Headmaster, you could have just said so. Trying to sneak into my mind won't work anymore." Hermione shot him a look before she stepped in front of him and glared at Dumbledore.

"You would dare try to break into his mind without his permission." The way she said it, it wasn't a question, but a statement. Harry laid a restraining hand on her arm, holding her back from doing anything to harm Dumbledore.

"It isn't worth it, 'Mi. Don't let him get to you. Guess if he wanted to be able to peek into our minds, he shouldn't have insisted that Professor Snape teach us his craft." Hermione heaved a deep breath but remained silent. It was Severus that stepped forward and broke the tension.

"Were there any more in the vault that you could find?" Harry shook his head.

"No, sir. That was the only one." Dumbledore spoke again.

"He won't have two in the same place. We'll just have to keep searching." Harry gave a resolute nod.

"What are we going to do about this one? We need to destroy it." Dumbledore stood and went to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus and pulled it from the wall. Behind the portrait was a cubby hole just big enough to house the Sword of Gryffindor. He pulled it out, gleaming and shiny, for everyone to see. Harry watched as Dumbledore turned to Severus. The potion's master glared at the older man, irritated already.

"I told you after the last one that I wasn't destroying another one. Do it yourself." Dumbledore shook his head.

"I'm not quite certain that I can. I'm still regaining my strength from that potion." The Headmaster turned to Hermione, but Severus was quick to step in.

"She's not destroying it, she's still taking a nap a day because of that curse Dolohov hit her with." Draco cast a glance at Harry and in that moment, the Gryffindor knew exactly what he was going to do. Harry wasn't going to stop him, Draco needed to do this, so he could prove to everyone and himself that he wasn't the coward that he was always accused of being. Harry gave him a small nod, urging him forward. The Slytherin stepped forward.

"I'll do it. I'll destroy it if the Sword will let me hold it." Hermione clutched at Draco's hand for a moment before giving him a small smile and letting him go. Draco stepped forward and took the Sword from the Headmaster, surprise crossing his features when it didn't disappear. Draco met his eyes again and Harry gave him what he hoped was an encouraging look.

Harry took the cup from the Headmaster's desk and set it on the floor in front of them all. Draco moved closer, gripping the sword tighter in his hand. He was psyching himself up to stab the cup, that much Harry could tell. Severus stepped forward before anything else was said.

"You saw what that thing did to me. It's hard to believe it at the time, but nothing that thing spews at you is true. Stay strong." Draco gave him a quiet nod and before any of them could say or do anything else, the blond raised the Sword as high as he could and brought its edge down on the cup.

An inhuman scream emitted from the cup, black ooze and smoke pouring from the spot that Draco had hit. It was no surprise that everyone in the room jumped. Severus moved forward and called to Draco.

"Hurry up and hit it again. Don't let it start twisting your mind!" It wasn't quick enough, though, since the smoke pouring from the cup started speaking. The voice was broken, stilted, but it was still quite easy for everyone to understand.

"You'll never amount to anything in your life, Draco. The girl you love laughs at you behind your back with The-Boy-Who-Lived, the friendship you've discovered with him is nothing but a farce. The only thing that you'll ever be able to do with your life is torture, rape, and kill. It's what you were born to be…"

Harry wasn't sure if Draco was going to be able to kill the horcrux before them. His already alabaster skin was so pale that Harry could have sworn he saw right through him. He was panting with the effort that it took to hold the heavy Sword aloft and Harry could see tears dripping down his cheeks onto his robes. It was Hermione that finally brought him out of the stupor that the cup had induced.

"None of that is true, Draco, hit it again!"

As if someone snapped their finger in front of his face and brought him back to the present, Draco heaved the Sword down once more on top of the cup. The scream returned and after a few moments, all was silent. The cup was now blackened, split almost halfway down the middle, laying there unobtrusively on the floor. Draco was still panting, the tip of the Sword now on the floor at his feet, and Harry could see that the fringe of his hair was damp with sweat. Harry stepped forward and took the Sword from Draco, so he could lay it on the Headmaster's desk.

Hermione rushed forward and pulled Draco into her arms, pulling him to the couch next to the fireplace. She didn't give him a moment to resist before she pulled him against her and ran her fingers through his hair. He shuddered against her breast but began to get ahold of himself. When he started to come back to himself, he lifted his head and met both Harry and Hermione's gaze.

"Don't ever let me something so ridiculously brave again." Hermione chuckled softly, and Harry took a moment to observe the older men in the room. Both were speaking softly, not paying attention to the trio. He could only assume that it was their way of giving Draco a little bit of privacy to pull himself together. Hermione was still brushing hair out of his eyes.

"None of that is true, Draco, none of it. Harry and I would never do that to you, I love you. You're Harry's best friend. We would never let you become someone that tortures, rapes, and murders." Draco gave a nod, still silent. Harry decided that as much as he usually wasn't into having girly moments with other guys, this situation called for it. Harry took up the spot on the other side of Draco and threw an arm around the Slytherin's shoulders.

"You nailed that, mate. None of that shite was true, you really are my best friend. I'd never make a laughingstock out of you." Draco gave a small chuckle this time and lifted his head, so he could look back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad that you were both here to tell me that it wasn't the truth. It's so scary hearing your biggest fears like they're your reality." Harry shook his friend slightly by the shoulders before releasing him. Hermione gave him one last hug before she pulled away as well.

"You've done something that neither one of us has ever done and you're stronger for it." Nobody got to say anything else before Dumbledore interrupted them.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy. You took a terrible burden from an old man, thank you. I know that that couldn't have been easy." Draco snorted but remained silent. Severus moved in front of the three of them as he spoke.

"Might I suggest that the lot of you head down to the Great Hall before you miss dinner? I feel as though it would improve Draco's mood." Hermione giggled softly before she rose to her feet and hugged her father. As used to this behavior as Harry was at this display of affection between the two of them, it still seemed unbelievable to him. Who would have thought that the heartless bat of the dungeons had a soft spot?

After he finished hugging his daughter, Professor Snape urged his daughter and both boys to make their way to the Great Hall. Harry had no problems with it, true be told, he was starved. While he hadn't been expecting to have his day end like this, he had to admit that it was a good ending. They were another horcrux down and he was sure that somehow, they would make it through the coming conflict alive.

In his opinion, life was good.

-O-

Hermione couldn't help but reach out and touch Draco every few seconds, reassuring herself that he was indeed there with her and he was fine. In those moments where he had clearly started to believe the words pouring out of the cup, she had been terrified that she would lose him to his fears, that he wouldn't believe her and Harry when they told him that the words were filthy lies.

Draco had believed them, however, and she couldn't have been happier. She still didn't like how pale he was or the fact that there was still a slight tremor in his hands. He still wasn't overly talkative, but just the fact that he was moving around and not swatting her off him was enough for her.

The hustle and bustle of the Great Hall was in full swing as they made their way to the Gryffindor table. The three of them took their usual seats and were instantly regaled with questions about Ron telling the world that the three of them had left with Lucius Malfoy. Hermione had spoke loud enough for the table to hear that Mr. Malfoy had treated her like a perfect lady while they had been out, he hadn't sneered her way a single time. She even told them that he had paid for her large purchase at the book store, waving away her money and telling her that it wasn't any good while she was out with him.

All the lions around them were completely dumbfounded at her words. Once they realized that they weren't going to get a juicy story like Ronald had led them to believe they would, they turned back to their own friends and their food. It was the twins, Ginny, Luna, and Neville that waited until nobody was paying attention and asked for the truth.

Hermione had told them the truth, that they were going to scout out the vault that Bellatrix had left him, that Lucius truly had been as much of a gentleman as she had told everyone, and that despite what she had been expecting, it had been a fun day. Then the ribbing began about how Hermione would say any day was a good day if it included a trip to the library or the book store.

The trio ate their meal quickly, all three of them tired from the days outing and subsequent discovery in the vault. Color was slowly coming back to Draco the more he ate and the more normal the conversation around him seemed. After he and Harry had taken thirds of pudding, Hermione finally put her foot down.

"You two have ate more than I eat in two days. I'm tired, lets go." Both boys looked sheepish at her words, as if they hadn't been aware just how much they had eaten or just how tired she must be.

The three of them bade everyone good night even though it was still early in the evening. Hermione really was exhausted, but she wanted to lay in bed and snuggle with both of her boys. She had been toying with the idea of finally giving into them for a week or so and she had almost caved last night. She wasn't above using her wiles to get them in bed with her either, for snuggling or anything else.

They traversed the way between the Great Hall and the Room of Requirement quickly. After they had told everyone good night, it seemed as if the boys were just as eager to get time to themselves as she was. Harry paced the corridor before Barnabas the Barmy, the door appearing before them. Hermione entered first, their bedroom just as it always was.

She didn't wait for either boy. Three steps into the door, she shucked off her long-sleeved shirt and threw it in the general direction of the dirty clothes basket that the Room provided. Hermione continued to remove her clothes as she made it further into the room, clad in only her knickers by the time she reached the bed across the room. Both boys had their eyes on her near-naked form, Hermione was aware of. Therefore, she didn't even act like she was innocent when she and met their gazes.

"Are you going to join me or are you going to watch silently from afar?" She almost chuckled out loud when both Harry and Draco rushed towards the bed, robes flying as they stripped themselves. The pair hurried into bed next to her, neither one of them leaving on their boxers. Hermione bit back a chuckle as she reached out and stroked both of them at the same time, something that she had become rather adept at. Harry threw his head back while Draco closed his eyes and hissed.

Deciding that she was going to take matters into her own hands, she rolled so she was knelt between Draco's knees. Both their eyes were on her as she dipped her head and caught the head of his cock between her lips, her tongue reaching out to taste him. There was just a bead of lubrication on the slit of his cock, her tongue rolling in a circle around the head after sucking it into her mouth.

This elicited a groan from the Slytherin and she could see that Harry was watching them with hooded eyes, stroking his dick as he took in every single one of her actions. She was still astounded that they got off on watching each other with her, but she supposed that just made life easier for her. Hermione began to suck Draco's length further in her mouth, her cheeks hollowing from the suction she was using on him.

Just as Draco threaded his hands in her hair and held her down close on his cock, Hermione felt the tip of Harry's tongue trail up her inner thigh. She hadn't even been aware that he had maneuvered himself underneath her, but he had. His fingers hooked in the side of her knickers and pulled them down over her backside and her thighs to tangle at her ankles. Hermione couldn't help the squeal on Draco's cock when she felt his mouth latch onto her pleasure pearl. He started slow and easy, teasing her with the tip of his tongue while she continued to take all of Draco that she could.

The Gryffindor was on the brink of exploding on Harry's face when he pulled away, so he could suck her lips into his mouth, gently nibbling on them. She couldn't help the moan of frustration around Draco's cock and Harry's amused chuckle filled the air. She wrestled free from Draco's dick, slurping loudly as she pulled off.

"Please fuck me, I'm tired of waiting. I want to feel good." Draco leaned forward and kissed her hard, his tongue invading her mouth and tasting himself. When he finally released her, Harry pressed a kiss to her clit.

"Are you saying that we don't make you feel good already, Hermione?" She whimpered softly.

"You always make me feel good, I just want to feel you inside me, both of you." Hermione drew Draco's cock back in her mouth, taking him down as far as she could.

"Are you sure, 'Mi? We don't want you to feel like we're pressuring you." Hermione pulled off Draco again.

"Yes, I'm certain, I almost told you to do it last night." She took Draco in her mouth once more as she felt Harry moving to his knees behind her. She pressed back against him when she felt his head against her opening, gathering her arousal fluid so he would slide in easier. There was a steading hand on her arse and she wasn't surprised when Harry gave her one last chance.

"Last chance, 'Mi." She huffed as she pulled back up off Draco.

"I'm one hundred percent sure. Just do it fast, please. Don't drag out the pain."

Hermione had just gone back down on Draco's cock, taking him all the way down to where her face was nestled in his blond curls when she felt like she was suddenly split in two. Harry had buried himself inside her, completely to the hilt. She moaned softly, staying as far down on Draco as she could so she wouldn't make anymore noise and make Harry feel bad. A few tears squeezed out of her eyes, but the pain was already starting to abate. Harry remained silent and still behind her, but she could feel his length pulsing inside her with anticipation.

Nobody said a word, but neither boy pushed her for more. It was only a minute, but seemed like much longer, that had gone by before she pressed back against Harry experimentally. He hissed behind her, his hand rubbing soft circles on her arse. Taking that as his go-ahead to finish what he started, he pulled halfway out of her and slid back in gently. He hissed again.

"Holy fuck, Hermione, your cunt is so tight, I think my dick is going to break off." That little mini thrust sent a jolt of pleasure through her and she couldn't wait for him to do more.

She continued to suck Draco into her mouth, the suction she was applying was enough to make her mouth start to ache. The thrusts that Harry was treating her with were making it hard to concentrate. Deciding that she wouldn't be able to finish Draco if she didn't do it now, she reached down and tugged on his balls lightly. On the up-suck, Hermione twirled her tongue around his head just the way he liked, and it was only moments later that he exploded loudly in her mouth.

Hermione swallowed down everything that he offered her, just as she always did. His fingers tightened in her hair and Harry was picking up the pace, making it difficult to focus on both things at once. She had been ill-prepared for this feat. Harry seemed to understand her problem and slowed so she could lick Draco clean, his cock still rock hard under her tongue.

Once she was finished, Draco released her and moved to the side, so he could watch his best friend fuck her. Harry picked up the pace again and Hermione couldn't help but moan at how he was making her feel. She knew that there was a soft, spongy area inside her that would make her orgasm, but she had never touched it before. Both boys had refrained from sticking their fingers too far inside her for fear that they would tear her hymen.

It was undeniable now. Hermione loved sex. She pressed her backside further into Harry and he seemed to take that as encouragement. Hermione was panting, and she could see Draco softly stroking his cock off to the side, his eyes heavy and half-lidded in desire.

"Faster, Harry, oh fuck, harder."

Harry was all too happy to comply with her demands. His hips were bouncing off her arse noisily and she could feel his balls swinging heavy and full beneath them. Draco reached out and tweaked her nipple, sending a shot of lightning through her. He released her nipple and slid his hand south, finding her clit so he could tweak it as well.

Hermione couldn't hold it back any longer. Her inner muscles tightened around Harry's cock, fluttering softly as he continued to pound inside of her. It was only moments later that he gave a strangled moan of his own, stiffening even further inside her before letting himself climax. He continued to pump into her shallowly, making sure that every drop of seed he had to offer traveled to the depths of her pussy.

When he finally quit moving, he bent so he could press the softest of kisses to the right cheek of her arse. He pulled away from her and she keened softly when she felt the loss. He moved out from behind her and laid down next to her, his eyes still sharp with desire. His cock was soft, however, although Hermione was sure that she could fix that. Draco moved behind her in the same position that Harry had been in and rubbed his cock in the mixture of her liquid desire and Harry's seed. It didn't seem to phase him at all. Before he plunged into her, she looked at Harry.

"Move over here and let me suck you." Harry reached up and moved a lock of hair from her face.

"No, Princess, I'm spent. Besides, I want to watch Draco fuck you. You can suck me off in the morning." Hermione nodded her agreement, but it was cut short by Draco easing inside her. He hissed behind her, his hands tightening on her hips.

"Fuck me, Princess, he's right. Your pussy is so fucking tight." Hermione already knew that she liked what he was about to do so she wasted no time in urging him on, shoving her arse further into him as he thrust forward. He hissed again, and Harry grinned at his friend.

"Doesn't it feel amazing, the way her cunt grips you tight and sucks you further in, like it doesn't want you to leave? I could live in that pussy for the rest of my life."

As if Draco's cock inside her, hitting all the right places as he thrust in and out of her wasn't enough to get her going. Harry's dirty talk was the icing on the cake. Draco's cock was moving in and out of her at a steady pace, hitting her in places that Harry hadn't quite reached. While Harry had more girth, Draco had the length. She had never differentiated between the two before, and even though they felt marginally different, both were amazing.

Hermione could feel herself climbing the mountain again, the edge of bliss was just in sight. Harry had moved his torso underneath her, so he could catch one of her nipples in his mouth, suckling it roughly while his hand snaked down to her pussy just like Draco's had. Whereas Draco had tweaked her clit to make her fall over the edge, Harry rubbed insistent little circles around it, not quite enough to send her over the precipice, but enough to not only press back against Draco, but to pump her hips into his hand. The result was breathtaking.

Draco was fucking her hard, his hips bouncing off her arse, and his fingers digging into the soft tender flesh of her hips. She was certain that she would bear bruises from his grip in the morning, but Hermione didn't care. She fought her orgasm off for as long as she could, wanting to come at the same time as Draco, but she couldn't hold it back any longer.

Her world went dark and spotty as her pussy tightened down on Draco and pulled him further inside her. He groaned behind her, his hands gripping her even tighter than before. Hermione couldn't stop the moans and the string of profanity coupled with the blonde's name from pouring from her lips. This time, her orgasm seemed to last forever, and she credited it to the fact that not only was Draco fucking her, Harry was using his hand and mouth on her. There was no reprieve.

Hermione knew when Draco came; his cock grew even harder inside her and he stopped pounding her as he came, staying buried in her as he coated her cervix in his seed. He jolted inside her several times before he finally loosened his hold on her hips. Where Harry had kissed her backside, Draco leaned over and slid his hand up her spine, sending chills all over her body. Once he reached her hair, he tugged her upwards until the she was flush against him. His mouth found the soft spot below her ear that she adored when they kissed.

After he had kissed her neck, he released her, so she could lean over enough for him to pull out of her. Hermione knew that she should go take a shower; she could feel the fluid from herself mixed with both of her boys on the insides of her thighs. She wasn't sure, but she would almost bet that there was a little bit of blood there as well. Hermione just didn't have the energy.

The Gryffindor cast a wandless cleansing charm on all three of them before sinking into her pillow. Harry and Draco both fell to their pillows beside her. Harry reached over and tangled his hand in her hair while Draco threaded his fingers with hers. Harry broke the silence.

"You don't regret that, do you, 'Mi?" She chuckled sleepily.

"Never in a million years could I regret that. You were both amazing." Draco chuckled next to her.

"You're the best I've ever had, Princess. You were phenomenal." Harry rolled over, so he could press a kiss to her bare shoulder.

"What he said, babe. None of the other girls could dream of comparing."

Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face. She was used to being the girl that came in at last place, the girl that never compared to the beautiful girls that all the boys wanted. To hear that both of her boys thought she was better than the beautiful girls they had shagged before her made her heart swell with happiness.

Draco pulled her over onto his chest, her head pillowed on his shoulder. Harry snuggled up behind her, his leg tangled with hers and Draco's, his arm thrown possessively around her waist. Hermione was on the verge of sleep, but she wanted to make sure that they knew she enjoyed herself as much as they did.

"You both made my first time so beautiful and I could never thank you enough for it. I love you both." Both kissed her head, Draco her forehead and Harry the back.

"Love you too, Hermione." Both spoke together, making her smile softly one last time before she dropped off to sleep, deciding that the delicious ache between her legs was well worth it.

A/N- Holy balls, y'all, over 12,000 words. For those that don't like it, suck it. Lol, now that I've got that out of my system, I really hope that you guys liked it! I felt that it was high time that our favorite trio take their relationship to a new level ((: Anyways, leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me smile.

Next chapter, more brother/sister time and another D.A. lesson.

Love,

Alicia


	30. Chapter 30

A/N- Here we are again, my friends, with another chapter to this labor of love. I loved the reviews and I loved all the follows and faves I received as well. Thank you so much! It really does motivate me to write more when I get lots of feedback. Anyways, this isn't a life-changing chapter, just day to day life. Hope y'all still enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this story except for my own personal twist. If I did own Harry Potter, I would have made sure that Hermione ended up with Draco, or Harry, or Fred. Never Ron, but y'all know I'm a Ron hater. All credit goes to J.K.R.

Chapter 30

January 23, 1996

Hermione was on the cusp between sleep and waking, her dreams had been pleasant all night. Both boys had stayed close, closer than they usually did, truth be told, but she didn't mind. They were her heaters and she wasn't entirely sure that she could sleep without them anymore. She felt complete when she was wrapped in their arms and they claimed to feel the same way.

Fingers pumping inside of her brought her to a state of full wakefulness. Her hips started moving in rhythm with the hand, grinding shamelessly on whoever had seen fit to wake her in this manner. Her eyes fluttered open while a soft whimper escaped her lips. She hated sounding so needy, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. Holding it back just wasn't an option.

Hermione was pushed to her back while Harry crouched between her legs, his hand working its magic on her pussy. Draco leaned down and sucked the tender skin beneath her ear into his mouth, leaving a mark she was sure. Hermione didn't care about marks; the last thing she wanted him to do was stop so she kept her mouth shut.

When the blond pulled away from her neck, Hermione reached out blindly for his cock. Once it was in her hand, she began to stroke it exactly like he liked, long strokes with just a little bit of a twist at the end. He edged closer to her until his dick was right in her face. She knew what she wanted but she wanted him to tell her. She didn't understand it any better than anyone else, but she loved it when both of her boys dirty talked her.

Draco moved to the top of her head and let his cock fall into her face. He was rubbing the tiny drops of fluid on her lips and she ached to lick them clean. Instead, she turned her head just a little and managed to catch one of his balls in her mouth, sucking it in as deeply as she could. He let out a startled gasp and for a single moment, Hermione was able to bask in the knowledge that she had pulled one over on Draco.

That smug feeling disappeared when Harry lined up his cock with her entrance and slammed home. While both of her boys were more than capable of being tender and slow in their love-making, Hermione much preferred the method that they both liked. They were both dominant, possessive, and expected her to follow their instructions unless it was for a very good reason. Neither would ever hurt her, and she trusted that, therefore, she was more than happy to comply with their wishes. To be honest, she loved giving them control of this aspect of her life.

Hermione had always been in control of her life, she had always been the smart one that everyone turned to for answers. Hermione fixed problems and her friendship with Harry and Ron had been nothing short of one problem right after the other. She was always the one in charge and sometimes it was just exhausting. To let them control this one aspect of her life was a relief.

Harry was already fucking her, not allowing her a second to acclimate to his wide girth. It burned slightly, but it felt too good to tell him to stop. Hermione simply slid her arms around his ribs and held him tighter to her, urging him on with her hips, trying to match him thrust for thrust. Draco gently pulled his ball from her mouth, so he could tap her lips with the head of his cock.

"Suck my cock, Princess, let me shoot my load down your throat." Hermione opened her mouth and happily took his as deep as he was willing to go.

Draco began fucking her mouth with abandon, bottoming out inside her throat. He had his hands around her breasts, his fingers tweaking and twisting at her nipples, sending Hermione into a sensation overload. Harry was still fucking her, his cock hitting that special spot inside her that she had come to appreciate. His fingers were stroking her clit, much the same way that she stroked their cocks, and Hermione was unsure of how much longer she could last.

Out of nowhere, Harry gave her nub a sharp pinch and it sent her over the edge. Her world exploded, and she felt her inner muscles clench tighter around Harry, pulling him in as deep as she could take him. Above her, Harry grunted and slammed into her hard, she could feel him emptying inside her. As if this wasn't enough, Draco let out a groan and blew his load in her mouth, coating her tongue and throat in his seed. She gulped it down greedily, almost on instinct since she was still riding high on Harry's cock.

When she was able to open her eyes and not see spots, Hermione began to lick at Draco softly, cleaning him as best she could in the position she was in. He allowed it, his fingers stroking her jaw softly as she gave a small suck at the head to make sure that she got every drop. When she was finished, Draco pulled back and grinned at her.

"My turn. I want to lick you clean."

Hermione was still astounded by the relationship that her boys had. Neither one of them made any move on the other, both claimed that they weren't attracted to each other, but neither one of them was grossed out by the other's bodily fluids or functions. She was sure that most men would have a problem with getting another man's sperm in their mouth, but they assured her that they didn't, if they were licking it off her.

Harry was quick to comply with Draco's words, moving out of the way so the blond could kneel between her thighs. Hermione opened her mouth invitingly to Harry and he was quick to move to her head. Draco's tongue snaked out and started licking her outer folds first, tracing every single one as if it was a flower petal. While he was using his tongue on Hermione, Harry dropped his cock in her mouth from the same position that Draco had.

Draco delved deeper inside her, humming in appreciation as he did so. As he dipped inside her, sucking at her inner lips, Hermione cleaned Harry off in the much the same fashion that she had Draco. She could taste herself on him, a slightly tangy taste that she didn't necessarily love, but certainly didn't hate. Harry groaned softly above her, and Hermione couldn't help but mirror his sounds when Draco brushed her clit just a little bit.

Suddenly, Draco's mouth latched onto her clit and began sucking hard, little sounds escaping his lips as he did so. Harry let her continue her ministrations but seemed to be enjoying just watching Draco pleasure her. There was something about the whole scene that Hermione found undeniably hot.

It was when Draco slid two fingers inside her of her that she couldn't help herself. Hermione came again, her pussy clenching down tight on his fingers once more. She was unsure how her boys could like that feeling, she would expect it to hurt, but they both assured her that the feeling was amazing. It seemed like this orgasm went on forever, but, it probably wasn't more than thirty seconds.

When she finally went limp, Harry pulled himself from her mouth while Draco continued to lick her clean. Her best friend peppered her face with small kisses, his fingers tangling lightly in her hair. Draco licked her clean once more, this time stopping once he deemed her fit to shower. Hermione really wanted another nap but today was a school day, so they needed to get moving so they would make breakfast. Her thoughts from earlier resurfaced and a thought occurred to her.

"You two have been awfully comfortable with sharing me with each other from day one. Have you two done this before?" Both boys looked embarrassed, but it was Harry that spoke first.

"I've never done this with another man, but I was with the Terrible Two at the same time there at the end." Hermione was stunned. Her shy, unassuming best friend had had a threesome that she hadn't even been aware of. Suddenly, she didn't feel like what she did was enough, would never be enough. Draco cleared his throat slightly before meeting her eyes with a slight tinge to his cheeks.

"Same here, but with Pansy and Daphne."

Hermione couldn't believe it. How had she not known this? Why hadn't they told her? She would never dream of asking details, but she felt that she was owed being told at the very least. While she felt woefully out of her league, she felt more betrayed because neither boy had told her before she asked. Embarking on a serious relationship, this was information that she felt she was due. When she spoke, she tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, but she was more than aware that she had failed. There was nothing she hated more than feeling weak.

"You both had threesomes with girls that hate me with every fiber of their being and you didn't tell me?" Both boys eyed her warily as if they expected her to explode. Apparently, they didn't know her well enough to know that she didn't explode when she was hurt, only angry. Harry, always the Gryffindor, spoke first.

"How were we supposed to bring that up and have it not turn into a fight?" Hermione met both their gazes.

"You're telling me that you both knew the other had a threesome, but I was left uninformed?" Both boys rubbed the back of their necks. Draco broke the silence.

"We're blokes, we tend to brag to each other about what we've done and such. It was no disrespect to you."

Hermione wanted to cry at his words. No disrespect? How was she supposed to take that as anything but? She understood boys bragged about their sexual prowess, she heard the whispers in the corridors, but she had expected better than that from Harry and Draco. She knew she wasn't the best option out there, but didn't she at least deserve the respect of not having her boyfriends brag about other girls while they were with her? If they hadn't been dating and Hermione heard the bragging, she would have silently shaken her head and moved on, paying no mind to their words. How could she do that now when it hurt to think about? Suddenly, she needed space and perspective.

"I'm going to go take a shower." She knew she sounded curt, but she couldn't help it. The last thing she wanted to do was fight, but she couldn't help that she was hurt.

Hermione rose from the bed in all her naked glory and made her way to the loo. Neither one of her boys stopped her, they simply let her go. Once the door was closed, she fully examined her feelings. The first and foremost was that she felt betrayed and lied to. They had shared the information with each other but hadn't shared it with her. Their relationship was supposed to be a partnership, not one of the relationships that the rest of their peers had where nobody trusted the other to reveal the truths in their lives.

Both boys had discussed their sex lives before her with each other. Hermione already knew that she had issues with self-worth, but it wasn't helping that they were discussing other girls with each other, almost like it was wishful thinking. Maybe that was stretching just a bit, but Hermione couldn't help but wonder. She had poured out all her painful truths to them, the pain from her muggle parent's death, how being made fun of by her classmates hurt, how she felt like she just wasn't quite good enough in anything she did. They had not seen fit to do the same, however, and the reality that it wasn't hurt.

Hermione realized that there was nothing she could do to remedy this situation. There was no pain-free fix that would right everything. She knew that. Only time and its passage would make the hurt less. She was aware that some would maybe call her a drama queen, but she couldn't help how she felt and how she felt was betrayed and lied to.

Hermione showered quickly, not taking the time she usually did under the hot water. Once she was out of the water, she toweled off quickly before waving her wand around her head to dry her hair. When she was finished, she slipped a towel around her form since she didn't want to go out into their room naked feeling as vulnerable as she already was.

When she emerged, her boys were still sitting on the bed, worried looks on their faces. Hermione didn't say a word, but she made her way to her wardrobe to find herself a uniform. She rifled through her clothes briefly, finding the requisite clothes that she needed before turning to find both of her boys standing only a pace behind her. Draco broke the silence, surprising since he usually let Harry take the lead on the emotional end of things.

"Are you angry with us, Princess?" Hermione sighed and cast her gaze to her toes. This wasn't a conversation that she really wanted to have now, everything was far too raw and the last thing she wanted to do was say something that she didn't mean. She finally decided on her words and hoped that they would convey her feelings without hurting anyone.

"I'm not angry, I'm hurt. I don't know if I have the right to be, but I feel betrayed. Lied to. Not only did you two not tell me about an important factor in your past with girls that constantly torment me, you talked to each other about it. You left me out. We're in a relationship and I thought that we were all equals. I know I'm nothing too great, but how do you think it makes me feel to know that you two were bragging to each other about other girls? Am I not enough? How do I know you two don't brag about me to your other friends? I have poured out every sob story, every serious feeling I've had in the past year to you two and I don't get the same consideration. No, I'm not angry, I'm hurt. Very hurt. I think I need some time, some time to come to grips with the fact that nobody can fix this. I must get over it on my own. I think I'm going to see if Theo wants to hang out after the D.A. meeting. Please, just let me deal with this in my own way."

Hermione was proud of herself. She had managed to tell them what arseholes they were but not to hurt their feelings. It truly was a fine line since she really wanted to tell them to go to hell and see how they would like it if she did the same thing to them. She refused though, the last thing that she wanted to be was petty.

Harry and Draco backed off from her, clearly respecting her wishes regarding being left alone. Harry headed off to the shower while Draco began to dig in his own wardrobe. Hermione didn't put her clothes on, she instead used her wand to magic her clothes onto her body. This feat wasn't lost on Draco; it was clear that he was upset about her not even wanting to show her naked form to him in the short amount of time it took for her to get dressed.

Hermione was able to slip her socks and shoes on quickly before turning to the mirror and placing her hair in a high pony tail. She had taken to wearing her hair down since she the glamour had been removed and her hair had become more manageable, but today was the exception. Once her hair was up, she realized that she was sporting a bright purple bruise below her ear from Draco. With a quick wave of her hand, it was gone.

Hermione was aware of Draco watching her out the corner of her eye, but she didn't stop to think what her actions would possibly mean to him. She snatched her satchel from the floor beside the door and waltzed out of the Room of Requirement just as Harry was exiting the loo. She felt a slight twinge of guilt when she saw the look on his face, but she didn't let it stop her.

Hermione headed straight for the Great Hall, deciding that maybe a meal would brighten her mood. She wasn't holding her breath, but she could always hope. She let her thoughts drift as she traversed the seven floors, trying to decide if she was overreacting and being ridiculously girl, or if her feelings were justified. She went over every single detail three times in the time it took her to reach the Great Hall and found herself to be just as confused as when she had started.

Before she headed to sit at the lion's table, Hermione veered over to the Slytherin table. She rarely went over there without at least Draco, but she couldn't have cared less today. All eyes at the snake table were upon her and she could feel the weight of their stares. They regarded her as their queen, quite disconcerting, but she knew that her grandfather would be pleased. Therefore, she paid it no never mind. She strode up to her brother's side and spoke before he could.

"Would you want to hang out after our study session tonight?" None of the other Slytherins had any idea about the D.A. meetings, and his excuse was that he was always studying with his sister in areas that were a secret, so they wouldn't be interrupted. Nobody questioned it for which Hermione was entirely grateful. Before he could answer, Pansy grinned and spoke.

"You could come to the common room and sit with us, we would love your opinions on the upcoming spring fashions. Daphne and I can never agree." Hermione usually tried to be decent to the girl even though she was shamelessly jealous that Hermione had snagged Draco. This time, however, everything was raw from her encounter with both of her boyfriends.

"No, I won't be spending the evening with you, Pansy. It's not a well-kept secret that you hate my fucking guts because Draco is with me and not you. You're only nice to me, as is Daphne, because of who my father and grandfather are. Trust me, if I was still the filthy little mudblood, you'd be able to write me off and leave me alone." Pansy was silent for almost a minute. Hermione had already turned back to Theo when the other girl spoke.

"That isn't true, we don't hate you. We look up to you. You're right, we probably would have hated you outright if you were still a mudblood, but that doesn't mean that we didn't admire the fact that you always remained oblivious to our words, you never let us get you down. I know we're supposed to, but not all of us hate muggleborns. Sure, I do believe that I'm more powerful than most of them, but that's a proven fact in the magic that we've displayed. That doesn't mean that any of us want all of them dead, or even as servants. I've always admired you and how you've been a strong enough witch to not only be the best of all your peers, but to keep those two idiots you called friends from dying. Think what you want, but this isn't about Draco. I always knew that I was just a good time for him."

Daphne was nodding sagely at her side and Hermione felt extremely guilty. She had never once considered the fact that the Slytherins might admire her for reasons other than what she had assumed. She realized that she felt out of her element and was worried that she had lashed out due to her feelings toward Harry and Draco. Hermione gathered her wits about her, she was still acting of course, this information could go straight to her grandfather.

"Being the muggleborn on the other end of your taunts, Pansy, it was easy to assume that you didn't think very highly of me. That being said, I agree with your statement. I don't believe we should kill off all the mudbloods, that would be counterproductive. I'm not saying that they all must be slaves, but the muggles should be. I loved my muggle parents, but I never felt as if I belonged. They were mean to me because I was different. I believe that every drop of magical blood should be cherished, we are the supreme race. I just wish that there were more definitive roles in our society." Hermione wasn't sure that Pansy and the others would say anything to contradict her; her explanation was shady at best. She could only hope that since they regarded her as their queen that they would take her words to heart. Pansy nodded.

"That's how most of us feel, that's why we look up to you more than we do your grandfather. You're a brand-new way of thinking, one that we agree with." Hermione wanted to snort when she thought about what the woman would say when she realized that Hermione was double-crossing them all, but she held it in.

"I apologize for my previous words then." Pansy looked surprised at her words, and though she felt a little sick at uttering them, she did feel a fraction bit better once she had apologized. After apologizing, Hermione turned back to her brother expectantly. He gave her a confused grin.

"I would love to spend time with you, Sis." Hermione wasn't sure if this was a genuine term of endearment of if he was posturing in front of his friends. She gave him a nod and started to the lions table, thankful to be away from the ambiguity that surrounded the snakes. The Gryffindors were so much more predictable.

Hermione took her normal seat at the lion's table, neither of her boys were there yet. The whole table fell silent when they realized that neither Harry or Draco were with her. She tried not to let the stares bother her but that was difficult when it was the whole table. After she was seated next to Ginny, whispers went up around her and she knew that they were about her. Ginny, bless her soul, tried to distract her.

"Don't mind them. They want to see problems just because you came down separately." Hermione neither confirmed nor denied Ginny's words but she nodded.

The Gryffindor had just spooned up her usual fruit when Harry and Draco came into the Great Hall, heads bent together and talking softly. Hermione tried to act as if nothing was out of the order. They took their seats next to her and began serving themselves breakfast. Everything went back to normal at the table, there were no more whispers, once everyone saw her boyfriends sit next to her as if nothing was amiss.

The trio ate their breakfast as normal, nothing hinting to the fact that Hermione's feelings were deeply hurt. She did favor Draco with a smile when he passed her the orange juice, knowing that she wasn't particularly fond of pumpkin. Nobody seemed to realize that they were all three exceptionally quiet. Hermione wasn't looking forward to the silence that was sure to follow throughout her classes. She wished that she had classes with Ginny, at least then she would have someone else to talk to.

It was going to be a long day.

-O-

Harry was ashamed of himself. He felt terrible that Hermione was as hurt as she was over the fact that they hadn't been honest with her. He knew that Draco felt just as bad as he did.

Harry wasn't sure why he never told Hermione that he had a threesome with Lavender and Parvati. Both girls were horrid to Hermione, they did everything they could to hurt her feelings or make her feel like shite. The Terrible Two must assume that he had told Hermione since they hadn't tormented her with the information yet. Honestly, that scene had played out in his mind and it had scared the life out of him.

What was even more shameful was the instances in which he and Draco had told each other their history with other girls. They had both told each other everything about the girls they had been with, from the girls they had lost their virginity to to how far they had gotten with the other girls. While Harry wasn't proud of the fact that he had been bragging with Draco, what was truly shameful was the fact that Hermione had been unconscious at Grimmauld Place when the conversation had taken place.

It had been the second night that she had been out, Sirius, Remus, and Severus had all been called away to deal with a Weasley argument since Arthur hadn't been there. The pair of them had bantered back and forth over her sleeping form, sharing the most personal details of the lives. Not to say that either boy had no reasons behind sharing; they were both worried out of their minds and full of nervous energy, unsure if or when Hermione would wake and how she would take the fact that she had a scar the size of the Grand Canyon spanning her chest.

Harry and Draco had agreed that while their past encounters had been enjoyable, they felt that their time spent with the girl between them had been far better. At that point, they hadn't had sex with her, but now that they had, Harry truly felt that if they didn't work out, he wouldn't be able to find anyone to even come close to how amazing Hermione felt.

Harry loved sex with Hermione; she was impossibly tight and the most responsive girl that he had ever fucked. He had never found a girl that was willing to submit to him completely and the fact that Hermione was a control freak in real life only made that submission so much sweeter. He also loved watching Draco fuck her, he loved that there were two of them to always be there for her in any way that she may need.

He and Draco had no idea how to fix what they had done. There really wasn't any fixing it, there was only soothing the hurt feelings and promising that something like that would never happen again. Harry only hoped that it would be enough. While he knew that Hermione loved both of them, the last thing that she would be okay with would be being lied to, even if only by omission. Harry could only hope and pray that she would forgive them and let them prove to her that it would never happen again.

Harry and Draco still flanked her on their way to Herbology. He was more than understanding that she needed some time from them both, but there was no way in blue hell that they were going to leave her open to attack again. Who knew if or when Ron would strike again? Draco held the door to the greenhouse open for all three of them, but Hermione was still silent when she passed through.

The trio took their normal seats at the front of the class since it was a lecture day. Class passed by without incident and Harry couldn't have told you what the lecture had been about. He suspected that Draco was in the same boat as he was, but Hermione took perfect notes as always. They packed up their belongings and followed Hermione from the greenhouse, walking just behind her since she was in a long-winded conversation with Neville about some plant Harry had never heard of. They made their way to Charms, Harry and Draco falling just far enough behind that Hermione couldn't hear them. Draco cast a sidelong glance his way.

"Do you think she'll forgive us?" Harry nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if she'll stay with us. Hermione is the most honest person I know, and I know that dishonesty is the one thing that she wouldn't stand for." Draco heaved a sigh as he nodded.

"That's what I was scared you were going to say."

The pair fell back into silence, catching back up to Hermione as they reached the Charms classroom. Just as they had in Herbology, they took their usual seats in silence. Truthfully, the silence was starting to weigh heavily on Harry; he had never been the type to give the silent treatment when he was angry.

Charms passed in much the same way as Herbology had, Harry and Draco not paying attention and neither one of them taking notes. They were doing their best to make it appear as if nothing was wrong; the pair had noticed how tense Hermione had been at breakfast because everyone had been staring at them. Once Charms was over, the class dismissed to make their way back to the Great Hall for lunch.

Hermione sat next to Fred this time and began discussing the pranks that they wanted her to work on and what her limitations would be on her own inventions. Harry quietly eavesdropped, he had been surprised that the twins would ask for Hermione's help at all, so that made him want to know the details even more. She seemed happy with the distraction, and though it did nothing for his current mood, he could tell that it made her feel better.

Lunch ended and the three of them fell into step next to each other to make their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry hated this class with a fiery hot passion, but he would rate more detentions if he skived off. Therefore, he suffered in silence, well, close to it anyways. They had just taken their seats and Harry watched Hermione glance up to the board and freeze. She reached out and grabbed both his and Draco's wrists.

"Is this really January 23rd?" Harry could see that her pale skin had gone even paler. He wasn't sure what the cause of her lack of color was, but he didn't like it. She had clearly not been speaking to them all day and this had prompted her to break her silence. He softly pried her hand from his wrist, her grip surprisingly tight for someone so small, and threaded her fingers with his.

"Yes, that's the date. What's going on?" Hermione didn't get a chance to answer before Umbridge made her way into the classroom. Several tears streaked down Hermione's cheeks as she raised her head to pay attention in class. She dashed them away quickly, her hands leaving both his and Draco's, so they could take up her quill after erasing the proof of emotion on her cheeks.

Umbridge was her same old self, preaching to them the importance of avoiding conflict and ways to go about doing so. At the end of the class, she had explained the theory behind the disarming spell, a second-year spell that Harry had covered in the D.A. months ago. Hermione didn't take any notes whatsoever, though he couldn't say that he was surprised.

Umbridge was terrible to most of the Gryffindors, handing out detention to several of them for the rest of the week. It was by pure luck alone that she didn't assign any for that evening since it was a D.A. night. Usually Hermione would open her mouth when the professor got too out of control, but today she seemed to be completely out of sorts. When the toad dismissed class, Hermione stood quickly and bolted. Harry and Draco were right behind her.

Their girlfriend didn't slow or stop until she reached the Great Hall for dinner even though both he and Draco had called for her continuously to stop. She ignored them, and Harry wasn't sure if it was because she was ignoring them or because she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear them. She slid into her usual seat before she would meet their gazes. Draco reached out like he wanted to take her hand, but he pulled back at the last moment.

"What's wrong? Why is the date important?" Hermione took in a shaky breath.

"Today is my parent's wedding anniversary. When I was younger, we would always go out to dinner as a family and my parents would take turns choosing something fun that we would do. The last winter that I wasn't at Hogwarts, we went to the cinema because there was a movie that my mum wanted to see."

Harry instantly understood. Hermione had done remarkably well getting past the death of her muggle parents, but there were times where her grief resurfaced as if they had just died the day before. There was nothing that he could do, that anyone could do for that matter. So far, he had just let her cry it out, curse the world for taking them too soon, and then help distract her. He wasn't sure if she would let him or Draco do any of those things now. Therefore, he was wary as he snaked a hand out and wrapped it around her shoulders to wrap her in a half-arsed side hug.

"We're sorry, 'Mi. We know there's nothing we can do to bring them back, but if we could, we would. We don't like seeing you hurt." She leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment before she pulled away.

"Thank you." Harry didn't push the issue, he felt happy that she had let him comfort her at all. Maybe after they groveled that evening she would be more amenable to taking their comfort. Truthfully, Harry didn't want to do anything more than cuddle with her anyways. Fearing that he was going to lose her had cured his insatiable sex drive for the moment.

Hermione was silent for the whole of dinner. Harry and Draco conversed quietly about what they were going to teach at the meeting that night. Everyone was excited to begin learning the patronus charm. He knew that Hermione and Draco had already started practicing so he was really hoping that they would master it quick enough to help him teach the class.

Harry wanted to drop his things off in their room before they reopened the Room for class. He made sure to leave dinner before most of the other students, so they wouldn't cotton on to the fact that the trio had made their bedroom in the same room they learned defense in. Hermione and Draco followed him quietly, neither of them in the mood for chatter.

Their trip through the castle was uneventful, they made it to the seventh floor in just under ten minutes. Harry paced the corridor in front of Barnabas the Barmy and when the door appeared, the trio entered. Harry dropped his bag unceremoniously on the floor just inside the door while Hermione set her things on the couch that was placed close to the fire. Draco followed her example, but then went to his wardrobe so he could strip off his robes. Deciding that Draco had the right of it, Harry followed suit and stripped down to just the standard uniform.

Hermione chose to keep her robes on; since she had returned to Hogwarts after being injured by Dolohov, he knew that she was more self-conscious about how much of her scar showed when she wore certain clothes. He knew that if people like Lavender and Parvati didn't make comments about how ugly she was now that she was a "scarred-up hag", Hermione wouldn't have had near the hard time adjusting. He and Draco did all they could to reassure her that she was still beautiful, that her scar would only prove to the world that she was a true warrior, but he knew that that was hard to believe when hearing the opposite nearly every day.

The trio vacated the Room long enough for Draco to pace in front of the tapestry this time. When the door reappeared, they entered once again to find the large room that they held D.A. meetings in. As she usually did, Hermione beelined for the bookcases at the far end of the room while he and Draco moved the practice dummies to wherever it was that they needed them to be for that session.

It was only ten minutes before students started entering, a few at a time so as not to draw attention to themselves in the corridors. Hermione was largely avoided by everyone in the room, almost as if everyone could tell that she didn't want to be bothered. Harry wasn't surprised when Theo approached the pair of them before their meeting began.

"Is Hermione alright? She's been acting odd all day." Harry really didn't know how much Hermione would want her brother to know about her personal life, so he shook his head.

"She's just having a really bad day. Try to distract her when you hang out tonight." Theo eyed him for a few moments and Harry was sure that the Slytherin knew that he was lying. After nodding, he relented.

"I'll do my best."

Harry called the meeting to order after Theo made his way over to Hermione. He gave a brief explanation about what the patronus charm was used for and exactly how to cast it. He warned them that they would not master it on their first try, possibly not even the tenth. He did not lie when he told them exactly how hard the charm was.

He split them all apart, telling them that they would need space to perform this charm. Hermione placed herself in the far corner next to the bookcases, Draco about ten paces away from her. Neville was on Hermione's other side and Theo was next to him. Harry couldn't help but wonder if they were putting Hermione in a friend bubble.

Harry called for everyone's attention and waved his wand, calling out "expecto patronum". His mind focused on Hermione and Draco, keeping their smiling faces in the forefront of his mind. His stag burst forth from his wand, cantering around him before walking off to sniff at Hannah Abbott. He let the charm fall before the stag reached her, the last thing he needed was another reason for Hermione to be hurt. He didn't want her to think that he was sub-consciously thinking of Hannah or some rubbish like that. Everyone exclaimed over his silvery animal, everyone audibly wishing for whatever animal they felt represented them.

Harry called for them all to get to work and was happy to see that everyone complied without any complaint. To his absolute delight, Draco managed to complete the spell on his second attempt, probably close to his tenth altogether. True to his name, a Peruvian Vipertooth exploded from his wand, soaring through the air while Draco concentrated. After a round through the room, he landed in front of Hermione and shot fire from his nose towards Neville and Theo. Harry grinned to himself; if that wasn't a clear statement saying that even his patronus would protect Hermione, nothing was.

Harry clapped Draco on the shoulder in congratulations and Hermione offered him a tight smile telling him that he had done a wonderful job. Neville and Theo both looked on in envy and started trying again with renewed efforts. Draco went to Neville and started telling him how to hold the memory at the front of his mind when he cast the charm, that he couldn't let anything else happening in the room distract him. Harry noticed that Hermione was getting more and more frustrated and seemed to be on the verge of throwing her wand. He made his way over to her and she buried her face in her hands.

"I can't do it, I'm thinking about my parents and it's not enough. I'm just like my grandfather, only dark wizards can't produce a patronus. Nobody can say that I'm not strong enough." Harry felt his heart squeeze at her words. Only Hermione would instantly think that she was a dark witch because she hadn't managed a patronus on her first ten tries. He wrapped his hands around her wrists, so he could tug her hands away from her face and meet her eyes.

"You're not a dark witch. Tell me about the memory you're using." She sniffled slightly before she met his eyes and spoke.

"It's from this summer, the first day back from Hogwarts. My dad wanted to celebrate me being home, so they took me out to dinner and gave me season passes to the Museum of Natural History. It was the last thing we got to do as a family before they were killed." Harry released her hands, so he could brush her hair away from her tear-stained cheeks.

"Don't take this the wrong way but try thinking about something that hasn't made you cry in a while. You're sad about your parents, I understand that all too well, just try thinking about something that has made you happy." Hermione's eyes flashed for a moment and Harry was certain that he was going to be on the receiving end of her wand. He could only hope that Draco would save him. Then she gave him a sullen nod. Harry stepped back so she could have plenty of room. She took a few steadying breaths and waved her wand.

"Expecto patronum."

The room burst out in excited chatter once more when a dainty little fox with a bushy tail jumped from the end of her wand. It ran through several people's legs before settling on the ground between Harry and Draco. It began to lick its front paw before sniffing the air. When it disappeared, Harry turned to see that Hermione was grinning as widely as he had ever seen.

Everyone congratulated her, calling out how smashing her little fox was. Hermione was thrilled, and it was the first time she had appeared to be happy all day. She moved to help her brother with his wand movement, knowing that if he could master the spell, that would be another person to help teach the others. Harry was happy that she had mastered the spell, she needed something to bolster her mood. She even favored him with a smile when she caught him watching her.

Maybe this day wasn't a complete wash.

-O-

Hermione was on cloud nine. Her patronus was adorable and she absolutely loved it. At the beginning she had been scared that her animal would be a weasel or a rat or something that nobody would want. After she had become worried that she would never master the spell, she didn't really care what her animal would be, she just wanted to know that she had one.

The Gryffindor was delighted with her fox.

Hermione had started helping Theo after she had completed the spell. After only a few tries, he was already getting wisps on smoky mist, and he was thrilled. She was sure that he had been worried about not being able to cast one as well, due to his who his father was, but seeing both Hermione and Draco cast one had renewed him with hope. An hour later, Harry called everyone to the middle of the room.

"Excellent work, most of you are getting the smoke from your wand. I bet I only produced that for the first twenty times I tried this spell. Don't get disheartened, you will get it eventually, you just have to keep working." Everyone clapped and slowly started to gather their things. Hermione just wanted to go back to her room and go to bed, but she had asked Theo to hang out with her and she wouldn't renege on her word.

Theo waited for her to make her way over to him, and she could tell that she was going to get the third degree. She wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to share exactly why she was so hurt. Hermione didn't want there to be any chance of people thinking that they were fighting, therefore tormenting her even further, so she vowed to keep her mouth shut unless she just got a good feeling.

Hermione gave Harry and Draco a wave as she followed Theo out of the door and several doors down. Neither one of them had their bags so it would be pointless to go to the library. Once they were ensconced in the empty classroom, Theo waved his wand at the door, warding and silencing it. Hermione waved her hand over the desk, turning it into a couch so they could stretch out. Theo grinned at her choice and flopped back.

"Your fox is pretty cute." Hermione grinned now, still exultant from the memory.

"I know, I'm pretty happy with it." Theo began spinning his wand in his fingers.

"You going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to guess?" Hermione didn't think that he would jump into the conversation that fast. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him everything. Hermione settled on half-truths.

"Harry and Draco kept information from me but shared it with each other. It hurt my feelings that they would hide something from me when I haven't hidden a single thing. That and today is my muggle parent's wedding anniversary." Theo narrowed his eyes at her.

"I thought your parents weren't very nice to you because you were different. Why would you be upset?" Hermione cursed herself. Deciding that if she lied Theo would catch on quick, she decided to skirt the truth.

"I lied. My parents loved me, it was all the other muggles that were horrid to me. I didn't have a single friend before I came to Hogwarts. It didn't carry near as much meaning if I told your friends that I hated all muggles except my dead parents. They would tell my grandfather and he would wonder at how loyal I am." Theo nodded. It was clear that he believed her by the expression on his face.

"That's probably true. My bunch is loyal to a point but if it comes down to their hide or yours, they'll always save themselves." She snorted.

"I'm aware, Draco has already warned me to not trust a one of them." Theo chuckled lightly before his face sobered again.

"Are you going to break up with Potter and Draco?" Hermione cast him a surprised look.

"Of course not, I just told them that I needed some time away from them, that I needed to regain perspective. I didn't want to say something that I couldn't take back because I was hurt." Theo watched her for a few moments.

"Was it about sex?" Hermione couldn't believe that she been so transparent. How was it that she was able to lie to her grandfather with such ease but everyone else spotted the truth?

"Yes, but I'm not going to go into details." Theo grinned at her wolfishly and at that moment she wondered if her brother was as amorous as her two mates. She would never dream of asking, however, there were lines that brothers and sisters just shouldn't cross. He reached out and nudged her foot (she was spread out across the couch).

"You want me to kick their arses?" Hermione couldn't help the bubble of laughter that erupted from her mouth. She really didn't see that working out well for Theo, but she appreciated his offer nonetheless. The Gryffindor went to her knees, so she could lean over enough to hug her brother.

"I actually think that might cause more problems but thank you. It means so much that you would even offer." Theo ruffled her curls lightly before shoving her off him good-naturedly. The action reminded her of how the Weasley boys treated Ginny.

"You're my sister, it's my job to make sure that you don't get hurt. I'm no Dark Lord, but I can still swing at them."

They passed the next hour in easy conversation, still getting to know each other. Theo questioned her about Bellatrix and exactly how Dolohov got the drop on her. He was righteously outraged at the fact that she had almost died but was happy to hear that Severus had dispatched of the man and made an example of him. Hermione could only nod, nothing about any of her encounters with Death Eaters over her break made her happy to think about.

Ten minutes to curfew, Hermione shooed her brother out the door and told him to hurry down to the dungeons, so he wouldn't get caught and end up in detention. He chuckled at her insistence but followed her instructions after a quick hug goodnight.

Hermione had enjoyed her time with her brother. They studied together a lot, but Harry and Draco were almost always present. She loved spending time with all four of them together, but it was nice to see Theo just the two of them as well. Hermione hurried back down the corridor, so she could slip back into the Room of Requirement. She really didn't want to have a conversation that night about her boys lies to her. Honestly, she just wanted to change into her night clothes and go to bed.

Both boys were already in the Room, but she had known that they would be. They were surely lying in wait for her arrival, so they could speak with her. However, she was going to burst their bubble. They both rose from the couch where their school books were spread before them and headed in her direction. Hermione held her hand out to stop them.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm exhausted. I just want to change, take my potions, and go to bed." In that moment, Hermione was able to clearly see just what her boys were really worried about. Sure, they felt terrible about hurting her, but they were scared to death that she was going to leave them and waiting all day to discover what would become of their relationship was killing them. She heaved a deep sigh.

"I can see that you're worried about me leaving you. I'm not. I can see that you're both sorry for what you've caused me, but I'm not sure that I can trust you not to do it again. I don't think you will and that's the only reason that I'm not leaving you. This being said, we are not okay. We have things to discuss. Right now, though, I just want to crawl in bed and have you both hold me and make the bad memories go away." Instant relief flared in their eyes and Hermione wondered if she should have put them out of their misery so quickly. She squashed that thought, she didn't want to torment them and make them doubt her love for them if she was planning to stay with them in the end.

Draco stepped forward first and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She inhaled his familiar scent and she felt a little bit of her stress fall away. Harry stepped up behind her and pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck while rubbing her arms. Hermione let it happen, reveling in the fact that she didn't feel alone for the first time all day. Harry broke the silence.

"Go get changed so we can get you to bed." Hermione gave a grateful nod. She wanted to think that she was so tired because of the last vestiges of the curse from Dolohov but she knew that it wasn't. It was emotional stress.

Hermione stepped away from her boys and went to her wardrobe, so she could find clothes to wear. She usually only slept in panties, but she didn't think that would be a good idea after the day she had had. After pulling out a pair of shorts and a tank top, Hermione stripped her clothes off right there, caring less that Harry and Draco were getting a free show. Once she was dressed, she turned to the table next to the bed, so she could take her potions. She was down to six at night, much better than the original twelve.

Hermione wasted no time crawling in bed after she had rinsed her mouth. Her boys had stripped down to their boxers and took their usual spots next to her. Harry reached out and rolled her to him, snuggling her into his side. Her arm went around his chest and her legs tangled with his. Draco spooned her from behind, his legs adding into hers and Harry's, his arm thrown around her waist. Hermione sighed softly, nestling down into the warmth and comfort they provided. Harry turned and kissed her forehead mere moments before Draco kissed her neck in the same spot he had left a love bite that morning. Maybe now, in the arms of her mates, she could rest and let the world fall away.

In their arms, she felt like she was home.

A/N- Whewww, another chapter down! Hope you all don't hate me for what I just did to you, but sometimes ya just got to shake things up a bit. Hope to hear that you all enjoyed. Leave me your thoughts, they make me smile. Reviews=love.

Next chapter, Death Eater attack on Hogsmeade.

Love,

Alicia


	31. Chapter 31

A/N- Here we are again, my friends. I'm going to do my best with this chapter, but I know myself well enough to know that action scenes are not my strong point. I apologize in advance. My many thanks to those that are continuing to review and urge me on, it really does make me smile. To everyone else, I hope you're enjoying the story. Onward we travel!

***Shout out to ZoeyOlivia for being my 800th reviewer! ***

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I don't own the concept of soul bonds, and I sure as hell don't own triads. It's all been done before, nothing new under the sun, folks. I haven't made a single knut from my stories, though I sure wish that I could.

Chapter 31

February 1, 1996

Hermione picked at her plate, far too nervous to eat anything. She tried mentally shaking herself, making herself put a bite in her mouth. If there was any day that she needed her strength, it was today.

The conversation with her father and Dumbledore two days before had done nothing but make her a nervous wreck. She knew that hadn't been their intent, but she was also more than aware that she had needed to know what was going on, what was going to happen. This fact didn't make things any easier to take.

*Flashback*

Hermione twitched nervously as they waited for the griffin guarding Dumbledore's office to move out of the way. She and her boys had been called to meet with Severus and the Headmaster after dinner, receiving the note during said dinner. Hermione had been with Severus when he had been summoned and the fact that she had her boys were now being called to the Headmaster's office didn't bode well.

Once the griffin was out of the way, Hermione and her two mates made their way up the familiar steps towards the Headmaster's office. Once they breezed through the door that was already standing wide open for them, the five of them took seats before the fire. Hermione wasn't sure why it was easier to take bad news before the fire rather than before the desk, but it was. After they were all seated and had a cup of tea in their hands, her father wasted no time.

"The Dark Lord is calling for an attack on Hogsmeade this Saturday. He wishes for me to meet up with him before the attack, my daughter and her mates as well, and hopes that you, Headmaster, will allow me to return to school so I don't look guilty. He wants Hermione and the two boys at Hogsmeade, making a paltry effort to subdue his Death Eaters. He feels that it will solidify her cover, furthering the amount of information that she can bring him at a later date." Hermione felt her heart clench at her father's words. How was she supposed to let innocent people get hurt? Severus seemed to anticipate her line of thoughts.

"He promises that his followers won't be out to kill, they won't throw any lethal curses. This mission is solely to gain more favor for Hermione, Draco, and Potter within the Order. He wants to have as much access to information as possible at a later date." Hermione's breathing returned to normal. She could handle injuries, she just couldn't handle unmitigated deaths. The Headmaster began stroking his beard, contemplating his spy's words. It was several minutes before he spoke.

"Why does he want to meet with you before the attack? Wouldn't it be more difficult to make it plausible for you leaving Hogsmeade rather than not going at all?" Severus sighed.

"I'm not entirely aware why he wants me there. Maybe to show his followers that we're a unit, himself, Hermione, and I? I think he wants the three of them there, so he can go over the plan with them before it occurs. It wouldn't do for one of them to attack a Death Eater if they didn't have to." Hermione nodded, as did Harry and Draco. It made sense. They were supposed to be allies and they shouldn't want to injure each other unnecessarily. Dumbledore spoke again.

"I will agree to this meeting, but you will have to sneak out, Severus. I can't come up with a good enough reason to send you to Hogsmeade only to have you return. I won't put you on the roster for chaperoning and you'll just have to make sure that you're heard planning to do something in your lab, so nobody will bother you." Her father gave him a curt nod.

"I can manage that." Dumbledore nodded in return before turning to Hermione and her boys.

"I'll need you three to make sure that you follow through with Voldemort's plans exactly. If Severus is correct, he doesn't wish to harm anyone too badly, this plan is specifically to make your positions in the Order stronger. He may feel confident that you're on his side, but he still fears the support that I will have. After talking to Hermione, I feel as if he wouldn't want to anger her by causing unnecessary loss of life. Fight back, make it look good, but don't aim to do real harm." Hermione wanted to roll her eyes, but she refrained. The Headmaster thought highly of himself, that much was apparent.

Instead, Hermione agreed with Dumbledore, as did her boys. They discussed logistics for a few minutes more, areas to stay away from during the attack and such, but only for ten minutes or so. After that subject had been exhausted, Hermione, Draco, and Harry were dismissed.

*End of Flashback*

They were due to meet with her grandfather in just an hour and even though she knew that there would be no deaths, Hermione was still worried that her grandfather's followers would get caught up in bloodlust and defy their master's orders. It had happened before, Hermione had the scar to prove it. Harry reached over and squeezed her hand, knowing full well that she was sitting their ruminating and making things worse in her mind.

"Relax, 'Mi, everything is going to be alright. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, he just wants everyone to see you fighting his followers, he wants the information that that will bring him later." Hermione gave a shaky nod.

"I know, I'm just worried that his Death Eaters are going to lose it when they see the fear that the people show, and they'll defy their master." Draco pushed her curls back behind her shoulder.

"That may be, Princess, but that's why we're going to be there. We aren't going to let them get away with anything. I think that after seeing what you did to Bellatrix, the Death Eaters are going to be wary of crossing you. If they're smart they will be." She realized that Draco was right. Perhaps that was also a reason that her grandfather wanted her there so badly. It kind of irked her if he was using her as punishment for his followers, but there was no way in blue hell that she would allow them to hurt innocent people too badly.

Both boys turned back to their plates and Hermione forced herself to eat several more bites. They gave her encouraging smiles and both rubbed her thigh when she swallowed down several bites. Hermione once again let her mind drift as she chewed, thinking back to the conversation that she had finally had with both Harry and Draco.

*Flashback*

Hermione rolled away from Draco, needing space since she was so warm. Both of her boys shifted slightly in their sleep and Hermione couldn't help but to smile just a little. She knew they would want to talk to her this morning since she had put them off last night but that was fine. Hermione was in a much better place about the situation and felt as if she was ready to face the problem head on. She reached out and gently shook both boys, rousing them from their sleep. Once their eyes were open and focused on her, she spoke.

"I know you both think that I overreacted yesterday, and maybe you're right. I'm not sure. I want to start out this conversation saying that I don't hold your pasts against you, in fact, I'm a strong believer that the things that we've done and gone through have made us the people we are today. Now that I've calmed down, I'm quite certain that I wouldn't have been quite so hurt if you had both just kept it to yourselves unless I asked. What hurt the most was that you had told each other, you were bragging about other girls while you were with me." Hermione took a deep breath before she continued.

"It hurts that you left me out, made me feel as if I wasn't an equal partner in this relationship. If you were going to share information with each other, you should have shared it with me as well. I know that I don't have the right to ask you not to brag about your other girls, but it makes me feel like I'm not good enough. You're both with me but talking about other girls. I do believe that you both love me and wouldn't cheat on me or anything like that, but it makes me wonder if you're not thinking of other girls when you're with me. It would kill me to leave you both, but I deserve better than that. I know I'm not the best-looking girl in the school, but I do know that I deserve to be respected." Once she was finished, Hermione sat there quietly and let her boys formulate a response. Surprisingly, it was Draco that spoke first.

"Princess, we weren't trying to hurt you. We were just being guys and talking about sex is what guys do. We weren't bragging, just talking. We actually were discussing the fact that being with you is a thousand times better than what we had with any of those girls." Hermione met his eyes and she could tell that he wasn't lying. Before she could respond, Harry spoke.

"I would promise you on my magic that we don't think of other girls when we're with you. We've never disrespected you in that way and we never would. We're so sorry, 'Mi, that we hurt you. We would have told you about the threesomes if we hadn't thought that it would hurt you. You have so many problems with feeling like you aren't good enough, all of them rubbish by the way, and that would have made it worse. Look at us now. We weren't really lying, we just weren't offering up the information. We never dreamed that you would be this hurt and for that we apologize. Next time, we'll tell you everything that we tell each other." Hermione felt her eyes prick with tears, but she held them back ruthlessly.

"Thank you. I know that you didn't mean to hurt me and I'm well aware that this relationship is still new to all of us. I don't begrudge you your secrets but if you share them with each other, please share them with me so I won't feel as if you're keeping things from me specifically." Both boys leaned forward and pulled her into a hug, obviously delighted that things were on the mend. It was Harry that broke the silence of their hug.

"You're welcome, 'Mi."

*End of Flashback*

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts by the bell ringing above them. Even though it was Saturday, the bells still rang, signifying the end of meal time. Hermione pushed her plate away and let the boys take her hands and lead her towards the Entrance Hall. The carriages would be leaving shortly, but they were to meet Severus just outside the gate of Hogwarts before the carriages would be there to see them.

The Gryffindor clutched her cloak to herself tighter as they left the castle while nobody was looking. The boys seemed to be enjoying themselves. Sneaking around always did seem to put Harry in a good mood, so maybe that was the reasoning behind their jovial moods.

They traversed the grounds quickly, not wanting to be late in meeting with Severus. Hermione had cast disillusionment charms on all three of them, hiding them from prying eyes that might be looking out of a window in the castle. Severus was waiting impatiently for them, pacing just outside the gate. When they approached, he sighed in relief.

"We must hurry, I can see the carriages heading this way." Hermione wasted no time in taking her father's hand, Harry and Draco taking hold of his other arm. She really wished that she could apparate, so she wouldn't be so reliant on her father for transportation. With a crack, the four of them disappeared.

The four of them reappeared just a hundred meters from the cave that Sirius had stayed in the year before as Snuffles. The fact that her grandfather and his horde of followers were so close to a place that Sirius considered himself to be safe made her nervous. After a quick glance to Harry, she could tell that he was bothered by it as well.

Hermione was quick to turn her attention to Voldemort and the Death Eaters that had come with him. While the Death Eaters appeared to be impatient, shifting their weight from foot to foot and scowling, her grandfather seemed to be completely at ease. Severus stepped forward and bowed his head to his father, his show of respect. Hermione knew that it was her turn.

Even though she was dressed as a muggle, she straightened her shoulders and held her chin high as she made her way to her grandfather. The Death Eaters watched her carefully, never letting their gaze stray from her. Harry and Draco fell behind her, flanking her and keeping their eyes on the crowd around them. Hermione stopped a meter from Voldemort.

"Hello, grandfather. It's been awhile since we last met." He gave her a semblance of a smile.

"Isssabella Rose, I'm happy to sssee that you have recovered from Dolohov's curssse. I trussst that your father informed you that Antonin will no longer be a problem." Hermione hated to do it, but she wanted to show that she appreciated her grandfather's actions in front of his followers, so they wouldn't think that she was soft. She bowed her head and gave him the barest hint of a curtsy.

"Yes, grandfather, he told me. Thank you." Her grandfather stepped forward and took her chin in his hand. His long, bony fingers stroked her jaw and it took all she had not to throw up on his bare feet.

"Anything for you, sssweetling." She felt the barest brush of his mind against hers. It wasn't strong enough for him to even try seeing her thoughts, but it was enough to gauge her emotions. Hermione was thankful that she had had her gratitude at the forefront of her mind. Voldemort released her chin and stepped back once more, casting his gaze to Draco.

"I trussst that you are healed, young Malfoy?" Draco gave a respectful nod.

"Yes, my lord. Severus healed me." Hermione watched as her grandfather stepped closer to both of her mates.

"My ssson told me that the two of you healed Isssabella. Is thisss true?" Both of her boys answered in the affirmative. Voldemort gave them what he probably considered to be a smile but looked like a grimace.

"You both have my deepessst gratitude. If you have need of anything, just asssk." Hermione couldn't believe that he had extended this boon to both of her boys, but she figured that he would do anything if it kept her alive and on his side throughout this war. All his Death Eaters appeared to be flabbergasted as well. Her grandfather stepped away from Harry and Draco, so he could turn his attention to his followers.

"We will begin the assssault on Hogsssmeade in just over an hour. I want you all to remember my wordsss. There will be no Unforgivable cursessss thrown at anyone under any circumstances. Ssseverus has told us that several professors will be chaperoning the studentsss, including Minerva McGonagall and Filiusss Flitwick. These will be the two that you mussst keep a close eye on, they can be deadly if they wish it. You may curse them, just nothing that will kill them." He cast his eyes over his followers to make sure that they were listening to him.

"My granddaughter and her two matesss will be in attendance. The three of them will engage you in duelsss, it must be quite clear that they are supporting the Order of the Phoenix, that isss the whole object of this charade. Know that if any of them are ssseriously injured, I will allow Ssseverus to handle the punishment. I think we all know just what he is capable of when hisss daughter is threatened." Hermione watched as all the Death Eaters eyed her father fearfully. Lucius was the only one that didn't appear to be cowering before them. She didn't mind; the more these monsters feared herself and her father, the less likely the three of them would end up injured.

Her grandfather was dismissing his Death Eaters, telling them to remain hidden until the appointed hour. Once it was just him, her father, herself and her boys, Voldemort turned to Severus.

"You mussst get back to the school before you are misssssed. I wouldn't be surprised if the old man comesss to check on you." Her father bowed his head slightly.

"I started a potion that I would need an ingredient from the Forbidden Forest. If he finds me gone, I'll tell him that I went to gather the ingredient that I needed." Her grandfather gave him a nod.

"Well thought out, Ssseverus. Thank you for delivering my granddaughter to me. You may go now." For a moment, Hermione could tell that her father feared leaving her alone with him, but before that fear could become more than a flicker behind his eyes, he nodded, and with a loud crack, was gone. Voldemort stepped forward and eyed Hermione.

"Tell me, sssweetling, does Severusss treat you well? Does he cherish you as he ssshould?" Hermione was scared as to why her grandfather would be asking this of her. Therefore, she did her best to show him that Severus was amazing. A smile broke out on her face as she began to gush.

"Oh yes, grandfather, he treats me wonderfully. He's offered me all the money I could ever need and has told me that this summer he's going to start tutoring me in potions, so I'll be ready to study for a mastery in it if I wish. I do love potions, but transfiguration is where my interests lie. He told me that he would convince McGonagall to take me on if that's what I wished." Her grandfather gave her an indulgent smile.

"I'm happy for you, sssweetling. I would sssupport you having a mastery in either of those subjectsss, maybe even both. I wanted to implore you to give Ssseverus a chance if he had been less than accommodating, he's never had a daughter before, but it seemsss as if he has been doing a wonderful job." Hermione wanted to breathe out a sigh of relief. Her grandfather didn't have designs to hurt her father, he simply wanted to implore to her that she give him a chance.

Her grandfather held out a hand to them and for a moment she was unsure of exactly what it was that he wanted. He chuckled at her confusion.

"Take my hand, sssweetling. Your matesss as well. I will apparate you to just outside the village, that way you won't have to walk the whole way." Hermione gave him a brilliant smile before she let it fall. She had to work the situation perfectly.

"No, grandfather, I don't want to take the chance of you being seen. I don't want your plan to be ruined." For a moment, she was sure that she had pissed him off. His eyes flashed, and his mouth tightened, but it was gone almost before Hermione had noticed. He probably wasn't used to his followers telling him no.

"Your concern for me is appreciated, sssweetling, however, it isss unnecessary. I won't be seen, I promissse you." Hermione gave him a shy smile as she nodded.

She grasped her inner Gryffindor and took his hand, noting how scaly his skin felt. Harry stepped forward took his other forearm while Draco grasped the upper arm of the hand that held Hermione's. The crack was silent when they apparated, surprising Hermione. As soon as they reappeared, her grandfather was invisible. She could still feel his hand in hers, as could her boys, but he was gone from sight. She heard the barest whisper in her ear before he released her.

"Ssstay safe, Isssabella. Make me proud and I will see you sssoon." Hermione shuddered at his words, wanting to throw up, but she gave him a brief nod before he could notice her revulsion.

"Until next time, grandfather." Without another word, her hand released and another near silent crack told her that he had disapparated away.

Hermione turned to her mates, still nervous as fuck, but feeling a little bit better after hearing the words her grandfather had told his followers. She hated that he held her opinion in such high regard; it made her feel as though the deceiving she was doing to bring him down was a betrayal. The fact that he was changing his way of doing things made it even harder. It was hard to hate someone that was becoming not quite as awful as he had been to begin with.

Both of her boys took hold of her, Draco taking her hand while Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and began to steer her towards the main square of Hogsmeade. They had decided that they would just window shop until the attack. They didn't want to take the chance of being locked in a shop when the attack began. While Hermione approved of the owners locking children in their shops for their safety, it would be detrimental to their plan if the three of them were included in that number.

They only had a half hour to kill before the attack began. They began at one end of the village square and started to make their way along the sidewalks, stopping and exclaiming over items they could see in the windows. Hermione couldn't tell you just what she had exclaimed over, nothing really stuck out in her mind, but considering the events that were about to happen, that didn't surprise her.

The boys stopped to gawk at the new Firebolt International in the window of the broom store. They were so enamored with it that they stood in front of that window for a full ten minutes before they would let Hermione pull them away. She filed away the broom for a later date; maybe she could get it for them for their birthdays.

They browsed three dress shops after the quidditch store and had just stepped in front of Honeydukes when the all-too-familiar crack of apparition sounded all around them. Nobody seemed to realize that those apparating in were Death Eaters; everyone seemed to be preoccupied with their shopping. Hermione couldn't help but focus on a young woman right in the middle of the square that had two young children grasping each one of her hands, leaving nowhere for her wand to go.

It was only moments later that someone screamed, a third year Hufflepuff if she recognized the girl correctly. There were close to two dozen Death Eaters storming the main square of Hogsmeade, their cloaks and masks firmly in place. After the single scream that alerted everyone to the presence of evil in their midst, all hell broke loose.

Most of the children started to run, for shops, for cover, some even for the road that led them back to Hogwarts. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Professor McGonagall wave her wand, a cat pouring out of the tip. The older witch bent to the beautiful silvery cat for a few moments before waving her wand and sending it on its way. Professor Flitwick was herding what children he could into surrounding shops, leaving older children in charge of the younger.

Hermione watched as the Head Boy and Girl did their best to protect a group of third years from two Death Eaters that were shooting curses their way. From the colors of the spells, Hermione could see that they weren't anything more than simple cutting curses and blasting jinxes. While both of those could injure someone badly, they were nowhere near the entrails-expelling curse and the like.

It appeared that the Death Eaters had been properly cowed by her grandfather's words. None of his followers were throwing anything more harmful than what they used in class. There was still blood all over the ground, unconscious bodies all over the square, and screams filling the air. Draco and Harry were both dueling three Death Eaters that had cornered a group of fourth years in an alley, one of the students was unconscious and several others were bleeding.

Hermione finally joined the fray when one of the Death Eaters shot a curse at one of the small children that had been holding hands with the woman in the middle of the square. She let her fury take over as she watched the young boy, no older than three, fall to the ground, blood spurting from a gaping wound across his chest. His mother had fallen to her knees to pick him up, to make sure that he was still alive. This meant that she dropped the hand of the little girl, only two years old.

The Death Eater swaggered up to the woman before Hermione could raise her wand and cast a cutting curse right at her face. A long gash appeared and started to pour blood, covering the little boy below her. Just as the woman jerked her daughter behind her, obviously trying to protect both her children, Hermione stepped forward, wand raised, and called out to the Death Eater.

"Fight someone that can use their wand, you inbred Death Eater scum." The grateful look on the woman's face was one that Hermione would likely never forget for the rest of her life.

The Death Eater turned her way and when she caught a glimpse of his hair, a dark chestnut color, Hermione knew exactly who she was dealing with. Thoros Nott, Theo's father. She knew that there was no love lost between father and son, but she really didn't want to end up killing the father of her brother unless there was a damn good reason. Knowing just how much he hated her, Hermione vowed to watch her back carefully.

Careful to not show any aptitude for magic beyond what she did in school, Hermione began dueling Thoros Nott. She motioned with her head to the woman to get her children and get out of the way. The last thing Hermione wanted was for any of them to get hit with a stray hex. Hermione felt like she was doing pretty good considering she really wasn't trying that hard. She wasn't winning, but neither was Nott. She let a powerful blasting hex loose right in front of Nott, knocking him backwards, which attracted the attention of three more Death Eaters.

Hermione didn't think that she had anything to worry about. It was clear that as much as Nott hated her, he was following orders. When the other three joined in the fray while Nott was recovering, Hermione was feeling confident about her chances. It was this fleeting feeling of confidence that fucked her.

Even though her shield was strong, Hermione was doing her best to not show any stronger magic than what she did at Hogwarts. Therefore, when her shield was blasted by all four of their curses at once, it faltered and then failed. A cutting curse came through and cut through the meaty part of her bicep, making her hiss in pain. She didn't have time to look at it, but it felt like the curse had left behind a valley that had once been filled with muscle and skin.

A blasting curse landed directly in front of her, throwing her back and making her ears ring. Hermione could faintly hear Harry and Draco yelling at her. She put her shield back up, refusing to be left unprotected. She slowly climbed to her feet, ears still ringing, to look at the four Death Eaters that were standing before her. Hermione could see that there were many people in the square and in the stores that were watching her closely, probably sure that she was about to die. However, this couldn't be allowed.

Hermione was supposed to be securing her place in the Order of the Phoenix, so she would defeat the Death Eaters in front of her and she would put on a damn good show while doing so. As she regained her bearings, Hermione held her wand aloft and let the spells fly without a second thought. Harry and Draco were off in the distance, fighting their own Death Eaters, though from what she could see, Draco seemed to be facing off with his own father. That made her feel better. Lucius would never hurt Draco.

Hermione let loose a loud percussion sound that left the Death Eaters before her holding their hands over their ears, along with several bystanders. She took the moment where they weren't paying attention to stun one of her grandfather's followers and shoot her own cutting curses at the others. None of them landed, they seemed to have realized that their comrade had fallen, and they needed to go on the defensive.

The duel continued, and it seemed to last forever. Hermione was trying her hardest not to show too much power and her opponents were doing their best not to gravely injure her. It appeared to be an impasse, the three against one, until Harry and Draco joined. Realizing that the rest of their comrades had already disapparated away, one of them grabbed their fallen Death Eater and disappeared with a loud crack. Harry and Draco were still firing spells at the other two, but it didn't last long before they were gone with a crack too.

Hermione wasn't sure if she was angry or thankful that her duel was over. It was true that she hadn't been trying her hardest to win, but she was still determined that she would win against her opponents. While grateful that her mates had come to help her, Hermione couldn't help but be a little disappointed. Both boys engulfed her in a hug, holding her close and telling her just how frightened they had been when she had been blasted backwards.

Hermione shushed them and made them release her, so she could check them over for injuries. Harry was bleeding from his head, he had apparently slipped on the ice and hit his head on the side of the building, and Draco seemed perfectly fine. Both boys exclaimed over the wound on her arm, deeper than Hermione had imagined, but she didn't let them coo over it for long. There were wounded to round up and treat and students to ferry back to the castle. She and Draco were prefects, after all, and that responsibility would surely fall to them.

Hermione was stunned when the woman that she had been protecting rushed forward and threw her arms around Hermione, holding her close and sobbing in her ear. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione caught sight of someone holding a camera and, in that moment, Hermione knew that those photos were going to end up in the Daily Prophet. The Daily Prophet was crooked as fuck, but Hermione knew that her grandfather would push for them to be printed.

"Thank you so much, sweet Merlin, I thought that we were going to die, thank you so much." The woman's sobs were extremely loud in her ear, but Hermione couldn't blame her. It was always possible that if she hadn't intervened, Nott would have killed them after he was done toying with them. She patted the woman on the back softly before untangling herself from her.

Hermione was quick to kneel before the children hiding behind their mother's knees. The little girl appeared to be no worse for the wear, but the little boy was covered in blood. Hermione reached out for him and his mother urged him to go to her.

"What's your name, little one?" The little boy looked as if he wanted to cry, but once he looked at his mother to make sure that it was alright that he talked to her, he spoke softly.

"My name is Theo, but everyone calls me Teddy." Hermione felt her heart clench at his words. Her brother's father had attacked a small boy that shared the same name as his son. Hermione reached up and brushed hair out of the small child's face.

"Would you like me to heal your chest? I'm quite talented at healing spells." The little boy looked to his mother again before turning back to Hermione and nodding.

Hermione gestured for his mother to hold the little boy's shirt up out of the way. Once his chest and belly were exposed, Hermione could see the full extent of the damage. While on an adult a cutting curse didn't leave too deep a cut, on a child, it seemed ridiculously deep. The gash looked much like her scar, starting at his left armpit and stretching down to halfway across his abdomen.

Hermione held her wand aloft, pointing it at the cut on the young Teddy. She cast wordlessly, cleansing the cut and leaving it sealed in her wake. She had expected the little boy to cry a little since a healing of this magnitude was usually just a little painful, but he was smiling at her when she was finished. Before she could even speak, the little boy threw himself into her arms.

"Thank you, thank you!" Hermione laughed at his exuberant response. She stood with the little boy in her arms to turn to his mother while her boys watched. There were more clicks on the camera to her right, but Hermione paid them no mind. The witch who had the gash on her cheek smiled at her.

"Thank you, I'll never be able to repay you." Hermione laughed lightly.

"You don't need to. I'd heal your cheek, but I fear you should have a healer do it, so you don't scar. Have them put something on his scar as well, no need for it to be bigger than it already is." The woman took her son from Hermione and nodded.

"What's your name?" Hermione gave her a small smile.

"Hermione Granger. Yours?" The woman looked contemplative at her name.

"I'm Alaina Shacklebolt. I'm fairly certain that you've heard of my brother Kingsley." Hermione was even more thrilled that she had saved this witch and her children. She adored Kingsley and would have been devastated if she hadn't been able to take care of Alaina.

"I'm well-acquainted with your brother, as are my boyfriends Harry and Draco." Alaina gave her a knowing grin.

"I thank you again and hope that fair fortune finds you. I'll make sure to tell my brother that you saved his nephew's life." Hermione didn't get a chance to say anything else before the woman took hold of both her children and started toward one of the apparition points. Hermione could only hope that she would go to St. Mungo's for treatment.

Just as she turned from Alaina Shacklebolt, Hermione heard several cracks indicating that there were people apparating into the town square. After a quick glance, she sighed in relief. Her father, Dumbledore, and Professor Sprout were there, all of them with dire expressions on their faces. She could feel her father's gaze upon her, but she didn't dare break her cover and meet his eyes. The Headmaster's voice rang out over the chaos.

"Silence!" Hermione was grateful when the whole square went quiet. As nice as the silence was, she knew that there was still going to be a long day ahead of them.

-O-

Severus took in the carnage around him. It had been absolute hell sitting at the castle and waiting for Dumbledore to send word for him that they were needed in Hogsmeade. He wasn't sure which was worse, waiting for Dumbledore or knowing that he had left his daughter and two of his charges with his father completely alone.

Severus was certain that his father wouldn't harm Hermione or her two mates but there was still an irrational fear that if he left them behind with the madman that they would die. If that ever happened, he wasn't sure that he could live with himself. Therefore, when he looked around the square of Hogsmeade and spotted his daughter with her two mates, his heart leapt with joy.

There were many injured and for once, Severus was happy that Poppy was shortly behind them. She insisted on gathering potions of all sorts before making her way to the square, insisting that she wouldn't be able to save any lives without the proper tools. While Albus was irritated, Severus understood. You could only do so much for someone that was bleeding to death if you didn't have blood replenisher potions. Judging by the amount of blood on the ground, he hoped that she brought as much of her stock as she could.

Severus caught sight of his daughter with her two mates across the way watching a woman and two young children that looked vaguely familiar walk away. The woman had a gash across her cheek and her clothes were covered in blood. He could only hope that that was her only injury. Hermione's arm was covered in blood but as far as he could tell that was her only injury. Potter was bleeding from his head but seemed fine otherwise. Draco looked the best out of the three of them with no apparent injuries.

Albus was barking orders, telling all the professors that they needed to go shop to shop and round all the students up, so they could be treated and sent back to school. The Head Boy and Girl were splitting the children in the square up into injured and non-injured groups. Severus was just waiting to see what the Headmaster assigned him to do. It didn't take him long to find out.

"Severus, you split the children into manageable groups, a prefect with each group, and get them on their way back to the castle." Severus groaned inwardly. It was clear that Hermione and Potter were injured so they would be split up from Draco. He would never hear the end of it. He tapped the Headmaster on the shoulder and spoke directly in his ear.

"Might we allow Mr. Malfoy to stay with my daughter and Mr. Potter. I doubt they'll take being split up well." Dumbledore nodded and gestured for him to go handle things with his daughter. Severus wasted no time in making it to her side and grasping her arm lightly.

"Are you alright? I was so worried." He could tell that she really wanted to hug him but just barely refrained. This fact made his heart swell and he couldn't wait until they no longer had to hide the fact that he was her father.

"I'm fine, Professor. I took a cutting curse to the arm and my ears are ringing from a blasting hex, but those are all things that can be healed later. Were there any casualties?" Severus pulled her sleeve up, so he could examine her wound while he answered her.

"No, no casualties. Plenty of injuries, but that was to be expected. Poppy is on her way here now with potions to help. I want you to see her, you've lost quite a bit of blood and her scarring potion wouldn't go amiss either." He could tell that she wanted to roll her eyes at his words, but she didn't. After he finished her examination, he turned to Harry. The younger man gave him silent permission to look him over. Severus grasped the Chosen One's head and turned it, so the light would hit it just right. There was a deep gouge there, but nothing that was too serious. He met Harry's eyes.

"You have a nasty gouge, but nothing that will kill you. When Poppy gets here, I want you see her along with Hermione. If you have a concussion, things could get more dangerous if it's left untreated." The young Gryffindor nodded his assent and took Hermione by the hand.

In the distance, another crack of apparition told Severus that Poppy had arrived. With a quick gesture he sent his daughter and her mates to meet with the mediwitch. He hoped that all was well with them.

Severus began rounding up children and citizens that needed healing and sending them over to Madam Pomfrey. There were several children that were severely injured but by nothing that was an illegal curse. Well-placed cutting curses could kill just as easily as the Unforgiveable, just a bit more messily. The amount of blood on the white snowy grounds was more than he had anticipated spilling.

Severus and all the other professors spent several hours in Hogsmeade. While it wasn't really what he wanted to do with his Saturday afternoon, he knew that it was necessary. Many students had been injured and the Slytherin didn't envy the Headmaster in his job of informing the parents. There was only one student that was in critical condition, having almost bled out from a cutting curse to the throat. All the rest were treated on site and released, his daughter and Harry included.

After the last student had been treated and sent back to the castle by way of horseless carriage, Severus turned his talents to the professors that had been present during the battle. Filius had lost a finger and appeared to be nursing one hell of a headache. Professor Vector had a broken leg. Professor Babbling had had her head transfigured into that of a stag's, antlers growing out of the side of her head. Said antlers were covered in blood, showing that she had gored at least one Death Eater. Whoever cursed her was probably cursing themselves for giving her weapons.

Minerva was the worst off, most likely because she had refused to let a single hex land on the large group of children that she was protecting. Mostly third and fourth years, cornered in one of the many alleys. Six Death Eaters had faced the children and Minerva had stood in front of all of them, so she could protect them. It was foolishly brave since the Death Eaters were ordered not to kill anyone but of course Minerva didn't know that.

The fierce Gryffindor had suffered a broken arm, a deep cut to her scalp, several shallow cuts to various parts of her body, and a severe case of boils that would take several potions to cure. While the older woman remained in good spirits, Severus could tell that she was exhausted. As someone that was aware of just who Hermione was and what their plans were, Severus felt that Minerva at the very least should have been notified of what exactly was going to happen that day. If she was told now, she may very well lose her cool and curse the Headmaster. Severus grinned to himself. Maybe he would tell her himself for nothing more than entertainment value.

After several hours, the last student was gone, most of the professors along with them. The private citizens of Hogsmeade had either been treated by Poppy or sent on to St. Mungo's. Aurors had arrived at least an hour ago and were gathering statements from those that were still present, promising to make a trip to the castle to get the stories of what happened from the injured there.

Everyone was worried that Hogsmeade had been attacked while Harry Potter had been there. While some of them seemed genuinely worried that the boy would get hurt, most were more worried that the boy was a target that he was putting on everyone else by attending public places. Many were calling him selfish and uncaring for bringing the attack to Hogsmeade with no care. Severus wanted to scoff at their words but refrained since it would blow his cover. The last thing that he suspected would happen would be Kingsley showing up just before they cleared out of Hogsmeade. He strode forward and shook both their hands since they were the only two people left in the empty square.

"I know she's gone already, but would you consent to carry my words of grateful thanks to Hermione for saving not only my nephew, but my sister and niece as well?" Severus was surprised for a moment before he recalled the woman and two children that had walked away from Hermione when he had first arrived. As much as he wanted to be the proud father, there was no way for him to do so without blowing his cover, so he let Albus speak.

"Are they all alright?" Kingsley gave them a stupid grin.

"They're all great thanks to Hermione. The cut on Teddy's chest was serious but she healed him up like a pro. Alaina took him to St. Mungo's and they had nothing bad to say about how a fifth year healed him. None of them will bear any scars, thank Merlin." The dark-skinned man blew a deep breath out of his mouth.

"Could you warn Hermione that a reporter followed them to St. Mungo's and did an interview? I hope that it will be good publicity, but I'd like to warn her regardless." While Severus wanted to curse at the fact that there was likely to be harmful press about his daughter, he didn't. This was what his father had wanted, he wanted the world to believe without a doubt that Hermione was a part of the Order of the Phoenix. This article would do that.

Kingsley offered them quick words of farewell, assuring them that he had only came to have them tell Hermione how grateful he was. Severus was proud. His little girl had taken on four Death Eaters and did her best to not blow her cover while she dueled them. In the end, she had won. If that wasn't something to be proud of, Severus wasn't sure what was.

Severus let Albus take his arm, so they could apparate straight into Hogwarts without worrying about the wards keeping them out. They landed in the Headmaster's office and Severus was happy to sink into the chair before the fire. Albus went behind his desk to pull out parchment, which he scribbled on for a minute or so. After he was finished, he folded the parchment, duplicated it, and put it in Fawkes' claws to deliver. With a flash of fiery red, the phoenix was gone. Albus came and joined him before the fire and for once, Severus thought that the old man before him looked his age. Maybe he did feel a modicum of regret for the things that he allowed to happen.

Time passed slowly, but in reality, it was only fifteen minutes or so. Severus was grateful for the glass of fire whiskey in his hand. When the door opened first, it was Minerva that entered. Severus instantly perked up. This was going to be entertaining after all. Several minutes later the door swung open again to reveal his daughter and her two mates. Minerva swung her eyes from Albus to the children, her features hard.

"Don't tell me that this is some sort of a debriefing?" Severus settled back in his seat while the three teens took seats on the couch. While Severus could be ruthless, the only person that Albus seemed to fear even a tiny bit was Minerva. For good reason if you asked Severus. The Headmaster held his hands up as if to placate the elderly witch.

"Minerva, you know that sacrifices have to be made and – "Dumbledore didn't get to finish his sentence because the elderly woman was already flinging hexes his way. He placed a shield in front of him but did nothing to retract from the humiliation of having your biggest supporter turn on you.

"Who do you think you are, deciding who can be sacrificed and who can't? You're little better than the Dark Lord and that isn't saying much." The hexes kept coming and Severus was having a hard time keeping the grin off his face. He chanced a glance at the children and he could see that they were fighting a smile as well. After several minutes of humiliating entertainment, Severus finally stood and took hold of Minerva's wrist from behind. He knew better than to disarm her, so he settled for gently restraining her. He valued his bollocks. Once Minerva was only breathing hard, Albus spoke again.

"Now that that is taken care of, I would say that our objective has been achieved if only by way of Alaina Shacklebolt." The Headmaster went on the explain Kingsley's words and just what he had said about his sister. Hermione looked horrified at the fact that the older woman had told the reporter what she had done, but Severus knew she wasn't foolish enough to object. Their objectives had been achieved without a single casualty and that probably couldn't be said for the next time the Death Eater's attacked.

Minerva was silent in her rebellion, obviously very pissed off at the fact that she hadn't been told about the attack being a ruse. She had expressed happiness that the Death Eaters weren't out to kill, but outrage at the fact that she wasn't told. Severus couldn't help but to agree. Albus, however, seemed ignorant to her words or emotions and Severus decided to let the pair of them work out their issues on their own.

The six of them spoke for over an hour about what the next step should be, just where the war was going to lead them. Severus felt the whole conversation was pointless since they were unable to speak of horcruxes in front of Minerva. He decided then and there that he would go to her and test her abilities when it came to occlumency. If she was decent, he would tell her everything that he knew, much the same as he had done for Sirius and Remus.

Due to the promises that he had made the misfit pair when they had all returned to school, he needed to go owl them and let them know that all three of the teens were perfectly fine. Severus had been surprised that the two of them had warmed to Draco as quickly as they had, but he wasn't complaining. The pair seemed to genuinely care for all three teens, making it much easier for Severus to mean it when he said he would look out for all three of them. Black and the wolf had been most grateful.

After watching the three teens dismissed by their Headmaster, Severus stood and followed them out. It was in the staircase that he caught up with the teens and pulled his daughter into a hug. The boys watched in silence and for that, Severus was thankful.

"I'm happy to hear that you're alive and fine. I was worried the whole time that you were gone. Did the Dark Lord say anything to you after I left?" Hermione nodded as she breathed in his robes deeply.

"Yes, he wanted to make sure that you were treating me well. I assured him that you were, that you'd offered me money and to train me in potions, also that you would talk to Minerva if I wanted to pursue transfiguration instead. He seemed pleased." Severus pressed a kiss to the top of her head before pulling away.

"I thank you. The last thing I want is to be tortured for not taking good enough care of you." Her eyes widened.

"Oh no, I think that he wanted to assure me that you were new to being a father if you weren't doing a good job. He seemed genuinely happy that you were already being a good to me." He kissed the top of her head again before releasing her.

"You three need to get some rest, especially you and Potter. You still aren't off your potions from your encounter with Dolohov, you need your rest." Hermione cast her gaze downwards and he knew that something was bothering her.

"What is it, sweet?" Her eyes were wet when she finally looked up to meet his gaze.

"He's changed so much from when I first met him. He seems to genuinely care about the two of us. Do you feel guilty for deceiving him like we are or am I alone?" Severus raked his hand through his hair, not wanting to have this conversation at the moment. It took several moments for him to answer.

"I do feel guilty, incredibly so. The only reason I keep soldiering on is because I can picture every single victim that I've had to rape, torture, and kill on his orders. They keep me going because they deserve justice. I switched sides for you, sweet, but that doesn't mean that I don't know right from wrong." She laughed wetly for just a moment.

"I'm glad I'm not alone. The more humanity he shows, the harder it's becoming to double-cross him. We need to end this quickly." Severus hugged her again, knowing that there were no words that would comfort her. After a final kiss to her forehead, he gave her a soft smile.

"We're going to end it just as soon as we're able, have no worries there. For now, though, I insist that you three make it to bed. You need your rest." His daughter smiled at him sweetly and raised up on her tip toes to press a kiss to his cheek. Once back on the floor, she turned and let her two mates lead her out of the staircase and into the corridor. He watched as they turned the corner to head for the staircase that would lead them to the seventh floor.

Severus instead headed for the Owlery where his owl Tenebris resided. He sat at the small table available for those who were writing short notes and scribbled out a short letter on a scrap of parchment.

 _Black and the wolf,_

 _Hopefully this letter finds you before the news of the attack on Hogsmeade does. Don't worry, all three of our teenage charges are fine. Harry and Draco fought off Death Eaters that were determined to attack a group of fourth years in an alley. Harry slipped on ice and hit his head but was otherwise uninjured. Hermione saved Shacklebolt's sister and two children and suffered only a cut to her arm. Do not worry, they are all fine, I assure you. In the morning, I will instruct them to write you and assure you of this fact on their own. For the time being, I have ordered them to their beds for they surely need rest._

 _Severus_

He tied the letter to Tenebris' leg and shooed the owl out of the window after instructing him to take it to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He wondered if Dumbledore would bother to send a letter to Black since the man was technically Potter's guardian. Knowing that Draco was fighting his own father made things much easier when it came to the safety of Draco. His father had taken special care not to injure him, probably the first time since the boy was born. Severus blamed Hermione.

With weary bones, Severus made his way back down from the Owlery to the dungeons. He wasn't in the mood for dinner, so he went straight to his quarters. Sleep was what sounded the best to him. He uttered his password, paulo vulpes, and entered his quarters. He kicked off his shoes immediately and headed for his room.

Severus wasted no time in stripping off his frock coat, teaching robes, and trousers. When he was left in nothing but his boxers, he fell into the bed and heaved a deep sigh. This had been a long fucking day and he had no urge to ever repeat something like it. However, he just didn't think that he would be that lucky.

The Slytherin closed his eyes and wished to whoever was listening that the following days would be much easier.

A/N- I know it's been a whole week since I updated and for that I have no excuse. I got caught up in Debt of Time again, one of the best stories of all time. If you haven't read it, give it a try, I guarantee that you'll love it. Another thing I wanted to point out is the haters that I have accumulated on this story. I had more than several people leave me shitty reviews and sent me several nasty PMs (more PMs to be honest) about the fact that Hermione was being stupid, and she had no reason to be angry and blah blah blah. I'm all about people having their own opinion and would never begrudge a person from having their own. However, when I'm told that I'm being stupid for portraying Hermione in that fashion, that Hermione was stupid, I take fucking offense. I'm going to remind everyone that if you don't like something about this story, feel free to quit reading. Nobody wants to admit that at sixteen we were all dramatic little assholes, but we were. I would have lost my shit if I had two boyfriends that I had just given my virginity to and they were talking about threesomes with other girls behind my back. Granted, at 33, I couldn't care less. However, at 16, that would have been a big deal. If y'all can't deal with that aspect of my story, fuck off. I spend most of my free time writing this story and if all you're going to do is bitch, then off is the direction in which you should fuck. I could recommend a hundred different amazing fics for you.

Those that were respectful in your opinion and those that supported me, you're the bomb. I love that even if you don't agree with what I've done in the story, you haven't been complete pricks. Hats off to you, my friends. Leave me a message after the beep and let me know what you think of this chapter, they do make me smile.

Paulo Vulpes- little fox in Latin

Next chapter, more horcrux talk and plans are made to take down the toad.

Love,

Alicia


	32. Chapter 32

A/N- I'm so happy to hear that most of you enjoyed the action scene. They really aren't my specialty, but the fact that I seem to have pulled it off makes me smile. Your support continues to astound me, the fact that you leave such wonderful reviews is amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm hoping that you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. I'm sure that everything done in this story has been done before. I haven't made a dime off any of my stories. Maybe one of these days I'll write an original and make millions (allow me my wet dreams).

Chapter 32

February 9, 1996

Draco scanned the Great Hall as he ate breakfast. He wasn't sure who was looking at him, but he could feel eyes on him as surely as he could feel Hermione's hand in his. Everyone at the Slytherin table were caught up in their meal or each other. Blaise was currently snogging Daphne Greengrass; he wondered just how much time would pass before his godfather left the High Table and made his disapproval of the situation known.

Hermione was chattering happily with Ginny Weasley. Luna was interjecting occasionally, the conversation about some form of earth magic that all three girls were interested in learning. Draco found the conversation to be interesting but was much more invested in discovering who was watching him. Harry was talking about quidditch with Neville and the twins, the latest professional match had been played the night before. The rest of the table was happily conversing with their friends about Merlin only knew what.

Draco was unsure how any of them couldn't feel the eyes on them. The fact that they were Gryffindors made them far more trusting than was safe, especially in the dangerous times. Draco wasn't trying to boast, but he had been raised to always assume that someone was plotting against him because he was a Malfoy. He supposed that the reasoning was arrogance, but the fact remained that the instincts his father had instilled in him had never led him astray.

On his next sweep of the Great Hall, Draco finally found the eyes. They belonged to a witch that was adorned in pink with a ridiculous bow in her lackluster hair. She would stare in the general direction of himself, Harry, and Hermione and then turn her attention to Severus who was sitting next to her. Draco tried not to throw up as he watched the awful little toad pet his godfather's arm and try to brush hair away from his face. Severus would pull away from her angrily, snap something that looked extremely hateful, and then the woman would return her attention to the Gryffindor table.

This concentrated attention didn't bode well for Draco and his friends.

Draco pulled his attention from their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor when Hermione squeezed his hand. She gave him a worried look as he finally met her gaze. Harry was still ensconced in his conversation with Neville and the twins, so he hadn't noticed Draco's inattention.

"What's wrong, Drake?" He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, an action that seemed to settle her.

"Umbridge is watching us. I could feel it." She frowned slightly.

"You could feel it?" He nodded.

"My father taught me to be a paranoid bastard. I'm not sure why she's watching us, but we need to be careful. That kind of attention never serves us well." Hermione gave him a worried look and nodded.

"At least we don't have Defense today. We won't have to deal with her directly."

Their conversation was ended abruptly by the bell ringing above them. Everyone stood and gathered their bags from the floor, reluctantly making the way from the Great Hall to their classes. Hermione took his hand and Harry wrapped an arm around her waist, the three of them making their way to Charms. Neville was behind them conversing quietly with Dean and Seamus about who knew what. Two corridors from the Charms classroom, Theo caught up with them and grinned as he bumped shoulders with Draco.

"We're still on for the library, right?" Hermione gave him a bright smile.

"Of course, we are, you know we have that Transfiguration essay due tomorrow." Theo rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh please, like you haven't had that finished since the day it was assigned. The rest of us need to finish it and you're going to work ahead in Arithmancy or Runes." Draco chuckled at the soft blush that tinged his girlfriend's cheeks.

Everyone knew how talented Hermione was at transfiguration. She was a legend among the students, even seventh years came to her when they didn't understand something about their class. She always gave assistance happily. Even Professor McGonagall was surprised at her abilities. It made Draco proud that she was his girlfriend.

Theo had been spending more time with the three of them then he previously had been. Draco was unsure as to what the reason was, but since the attack on Hogsmeade, he had been a far more attentive sibling. Draco and Harry didn't mind if he hung out with them. Hermione was delighted, and Harry was quickly considering the Slytherin a friend. The blond knew exactly what it was like in the Slytherin common room so if Theo was able to escape that for awhile and spend time with people that genuinely liked him, Draco was happy for him.

While Hermione didn't mind her brother hanging out with them more often, she did mind that everyone else in the school had been cozying up to her after the attack on Hogsmeade and the article in the Daily Prophet about her the following day. Draco still snorted in disbelief at the stupidity of his classmates.

*Flashback*

The trio had just settled in at the lion's table, filling their plates with their chosen breakfasts. The room had quieted when they entered but once they were in their seats, whispers began. Draco couldn't hear exactly what they were saying but he had a feeling that it was about Hermione. While he knew that that was the goal of the attack, he knew she wasn't going to like being the talk of the school.

His thoughts were confirmed just a few moments later when a Daily Prophet owl swooped down and dropped the paper in Hermione's plate. She put a knut in the pouch on the owl's leg and it flew off, heading for it's next delivery. She wasted no time in opening the paper, probably to see what was being said about the attack on Hogsmeade. When a startled gasp escaped her mouth, Draco knew that the article was about her. He and Harry both leaned over to read the article over her shoulder. There were two photos on the front page, underneath the article. Both were of Hermione, the first caught her waving Kingsley's sister and her children off so she could duel Nott, and the second caught her healing the little boy and the lad throwing himself in her arms. Draco couldn't help but to snort. Whoever wrote this article had used the best pictures they could to portray what they wanted.

 _Attack on Hogsmeade Leaves No Casualties_

 _By Roger Dunleavy_

 _The citizens and students shopping in Hogsmeade didn't see the Death Eaters until it was too late. This reporter happened to be visiting Honeydukes when the first scream rang out. Two dozen Death Eaters, wearing their standard robes and masks, apparated into the main square. They showed no preference when they attacked, students and citizens alike._

 _There were several notable warriors in the square that took it upon themselves to protect the children and elderly alike. Minerva McGonagall, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts, was seen protecting a group of terrified third and fourth years from several masked opponents. Draco Malfoy was seen side by side with Harry Potter, the pair of them protecting a group of fourth years in an alley from three Death Eaters. Filius Flitwick, Charms professor at Hogwarts, was covering a large group of students as they tried to run into Madam Malkin's Dress Shop, using his superior dueling skills to keep them safe._

 _The one that stood out among all others was Hermione Granger, muggleborn Gryffindor best friend to Harry Potter, also known to be dating both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. A young woman, later identified as Alaina Shacklebolt, sister to Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt, was in the middle of the square, two young children in her arms. A Death Eater stepped forward and cursed the young boy and then his mother when she tried to protect him. Hermione Granger stepped forward and waved them away, as seen below in the photo, and dueled the Death Eater in their stead._

 _Once Miss Granger gained the upper hand, three more masked wizards joined the fray and she was fighting off four Death Eaters. While it isn't likely that Miss Granger would have won the duel with those odds, the fact that she wasn't backing down in commendable. She was able to stun one of her opponents after using a percussion spell to distract them, which gave time to Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy to come to her defense. The Death Eaters quickly disapparated away, leaving the snowy, blood-covered grounds behind them._

 _The second photo accompanying this article shows that Miss Granger went to the little boy, no older than three, and healed the deep gash in his chest. In his gratitude, he threw his arms around the young Gryffindor and thanked her profusely. We here at the Daily Prophet feel that if there more people like these brave warriors in the world, it would be a much better place._

 _All the victims have been treated and released aside from one, listed in stable condition at St. Mungo's._

Draco wanted to vomit. It was glaringly obvious that this article had been written the way that it was on purpose. Even though there were only good things said about her, Hermione was pale. She hadn't said a single word when a sixth year Ravenclaw approached the table and held out his copy of the Prophet.

"Can you sign my copy, Granger? It isn't often that a muggleborn is hailed by the Daily Prophet. This once in a lifetime occurrence should be remembered with your signature." Hermione looked up to meet his gaze and, in that moment, Draco knew that the Ravenclaw was fucked. Her eyes were flashing, and he could tell that she was gritting her teeth, something that her muggle parents probably would have scolded her for.

"You want me to sign your newspaper not because of what I did, but because the Prophet finally decided to not be bigoted fucking pricks?" The Ravenclaw seemed to realize that he was in over his head and began to back away slowly.

"Umm…no, I just…well, it's a…" It was clear that the boy had no idea what the proper response should be. Hermione stood and snatched the paper out of his hand and pulled a quill from her satchel. She began scribbling on the paper, so Draco leaned over to see what she was writing, surprised that she had consented to sign it at all. He bit back a laugh when he saw it.

 _Fuck you._

Once she had embellished the words with hearts, wands, and stars, she threw it back at the Ravenclaw and gave a sickly-sweet smile.

"Hope you like your paper now." The boy glanced down and saw what she had written but didn't say anything. Hermione spoke again.

"If you had asked for my autograph because I was brave, and you appreciated my actions, I would have signed it. I won't sign shite just because the Prophet finally decided to be decent." The boy nodded and walked away dejectedly. Draco just shook his head.

Today was going to be a long day.

*End of Flashback*

The four of them took their usual seat in Charms, taking their books, quills, and parchment out. They were going to cover silencing charms today, and while Draco knew that most of the Slytherins and his own little trio had no problems with the charm, there were others that probably needed the work. Hermione already looked bored, a feeling that Draco could commiserate with. Since their power had increased from being part of a triad, magic came much easier to them all.

Professor Flitwick went over the origin of the charm, it's many uses, and the proper way to cast it. Draco took notes as he always did, noticing that Hermione and Harry did the same. The class was half over when their professor split them into groups, so they could practice casting the charm.

Draco was put into a group with Hermione, Harry, and Ronald Weasley. It was clear that the redhead wasn't happy with the situation at all, but none of them could complain about it without making an unnecessary scene, especially since three of the four had already mastered the spell. Not wanting Hermione to have to speak to the weasel, Draco sneered his way.

"You go first, Weasel." Weasley looked extremely put out.

"Why do I have to go first? Hermione has always been the over-achiever that wants to go first." Draco sighed as if the redhead was a complete idiot.

"We've all mastered the spell, you're the only one that needs to before we can call Flitwick over to watch." Weasley looked at each one of them before he spoke again.

"I want to see you and Harry cast it first. Hermione's such a swot, I believe that she's able to cast it." Harry stepped forward as if to take a swing at the redhead for saying something like that about Hermione, but Draco held him back with a hand to his shoulder.

"Fine, you don't believe us? I'll go first. Fair warning, I'm going to laugh when we can cast it and you can't."

There was a wizarding radio between them that was softly playing music. Deciding that he really wanted to piss the weasel off, he cast the silencing charm at the radio silently. The music was gone, and Draco couldn't help but smirk at the redhead. He cancelled the spell and nodded to Harry. The messy-haired boy produced his wand and waved it silently at the radio, the music disappearing once again. Harry grinned widely when he saw that look on Weasley's face. Harry cancelled the spell and before anyone else could speak, Hermione broke it.

"Quit putting it off and just cast it, Ronald. The quicker you do it, the quicker you can run back to Lavender." He glared at her for several moments before he finally pointed his wand at the radio. Since he was still unable to perform non-verbal spells, he muttered the spell.

"Silencio." While the music didn't disappear, it did get quieter. The Weasel's face turned red and he continued to jab his wand at the radio, getting even less of a response than he had the first time. Draco would have been happy to point and laugh, but Hermione and her kind heart stepped forward to help the redhead.

"You're putting too much emphasis on your wand movements, you need to -." She was cut off by Weasley's furious voice.

"Just stop, Hermione, I don't need you nagging at me. I had more than enough of that when we were friends." Hermione snapped her mouth shut and her eyes hardened. Without another word, she flagged down Professor Flitwick.

"Professor, we're all finished here. Can you come watch us?" The tiny professor bounced over happily, a smile on his features.

"Of course, Miss Granger, would you like to go first?" Hermione gave him a smile and Draco watched as she pointed her wand at the radio and cast the spell wordlessly. The music disappeared, and the professor clapped his hands together cheerfully.

"Wonderful, Miss Granger, simply wonderful. Who's next?"

Harry and Draco both took their turns successfully, the music disappearing and reappearing at the command of their wands. Once they were finished, the cheery professor turned to Weasley.

"Go ahead, Mr. Weasley." The three of them watched as the redhead tried the spell and failed. Draco couldn't help but to smirk at him as he tried several more times. After the fifth try, Professor Flitwick held up his hands.

"You need more practice, Mr. Weasley. You're putting too much emphasis into your wand movement. It needs to be almost casual while you put the focus into you spell. Keep practicing." The professor left and by now even Hermione was smirking at him. Weasley was bright red in anger and embarrassment. The three of them turned to take their seats but before she sat Hermione fired back at the redhead.

"I bet next time you listen to me and don't turn away free help. Have fun practicing on your own."

The three of them took their seats and pulled out the homework that they were going to work on next period in the library. Professor Flitwick was testing the group that had Theo, Pansy, Blaise, and Daphne in it, all of them successfully silencing their radio. They worked on homework for the next thirty minutes until their professor dismissed them.

-O-

Hermione gathered her things and watched her mates do the same. Once their belongings were in their satchels, they left the Charms classroom and started for the fourth floor where the library was. Theo caught up with them at the end of the corridor, smile on his features.

"We saw what you did to the Weasel, that was brilliant." Hermione usually didn't consider herself to be a vindictive person, but in this one instance, she had enjoyed tormenting the redhead.

"Thank you, I do have my moments where I can be vindictive." Theo chuckled.

"You're a woman, of that I have no doubt."

All the boys laughed, and Hermione mock glared at her brother. The trip to the library was short and filled with chatter about the homework they were going to work on. The three boys needed to complete their Transfiguration essay and Theo had been correct. She planned to work ahead in Arithmancy since it was the subject that was the most difficult for her.

They took their usual seats in the library at a table just outside of the restricted section. Hermione had claimed this table as her own clear back in her first year and none of the boys had a problem with using it as their own either. Hermione quickly unloaded her things and made her way to the stacks, so she could retrieve the book that she needed on Advanced Arithmancy. Hermione was still further ahead in the subject than most people, it just took more effort for Hermione to do well in it than the other subjects. She could only assume that it was because it wasn't about spells but about numbers and predictions.

Hermione was quick to return to her table, finding all the boys working on their essay quietly. She couldn't help but grin at the sight. She never would have imagined this scene at the beginning of the school year. The Gryffindor had just settled down on her corner seat, opened her book and began reading when someone placed their hands on the table next to her before speaking.

"Granger, have you come up with anymore spells for us to use in the joke shop?" Fred and George had obviously decided that the best time to question her about her inventing for them was while she was in the library working on homework. She didn't even deign to look at them, just kept her eyes on her book.

"You thought that disturbing me in the library was the best way to go about asking me?" Fred hesitated for a moment before he spoke.

"We would have waited until lunch, but we have detention." Hermione finally pulled her eyes away her book and trailed her gaze over George's hand and gasped and what she saw.

 _Blood traitor._

Hermione felt anger flash through her and she was barely able to contain her magic. While it was nowhere near the response if the scars had been on Harry or Draco, she still considered Fred and George to be her brothers, they had taken that role in her first year when they had found her crying two weeks into school because a Slytherin had been mean to her. They had consoled her and promised to look after her, telling her that things would get better. The fact that they had cut the words into their own hands made her want to hurt people.

"That fucking bitch did that to you, didn't she? She made you use that fucking quill?" George snatched his hand off the table and hid his hand behind his back. Fred mirrored his movement, and, in that moment, Hermione was certain that her worries had been correct. She stood and glared at them, surprised when they seemed to cower before her just a little.

"Show me your hands right now." They both stepped forward and obeyed her even though she was only a fifth year and they were in their seventh year. They were wary as they presented their hands and Hermione realized that she wasn't Hermione Granger, lovable muggleborn that helped everyone, she was Isabella Riddle, granddaughter of the Dark Lord. She tried to soften her stance since she didn't want her friends to be afraid of her.

The words were etched deep in their skin, most certainly because they received more detentions than anyone else in the school. They were still red, almost raw, and Hermione guessed that they had last had detention the night before. She gently traced each word on both of their hands, so they wouldn't be so fearful of her before she stepped back. While her stance and features were soft, her voice was like steel.

"We're going to take that bitch down." Nobody said anything, so Hermione gestured for the twins to take a seat at their table, even though they would be crowded.

"What have you been getting detention for?" The twins shrugged their shoulders.

"Usually standing up for the little kids. She isn't smart enough to catch us playing a prank. When she starts in on the little kids in the corridors, George and I misbehave so she'll leave them alone and punish us instead." Hermione's heart swelled at their words. The twins, while overly mischievous, really were kind-hearted and were always looking out for others. Hermione sighed as she mulled over her options. She didn't like any of them, but there wasn't much that she could do.

"I hate to ask it of you but take your detention in silence today. Come see me after lunch and I'll heal you as best I can. No more standing up for the little kids, those scars look like they might be permanent. We'll see if we can rally some help in doing that at the D.A. meeting tonight. Maybe if we all take turns, it won't be so bad. I'm going to come up with a plan and I'll tell everyone at the meeting tonight." Both twins looked like they wanted to rebel, but they remained silent in the end. Even they knew that a vindictive Hermione wasn't someone that they wanted to cross. Rita Skeeter was the perfect example.

The twins left without an answer to their original question, so the boys turned back to their homework. Hermione, however, couldn't focus on her homework. Her mind kept picturing Harry's hand cut up by the blood quill, the twins, everyone that she knew that had been given detention from the hag. How had nobody complained to anyone yet? Wasn't this the sort of thing that Dumbledore should be taking care of?

The free period ended much quicker than she had expected. The four of them gathered their things and left the library, making their way to towards the Great Hall. Once they were there and had taken their seats, Hermione couldn't think of anything aside from the twins cutting into their hands with a cursed quill while she ate cheese and broccoli soup. She had just pushed her bowl away from her, only half of it gone, when an owl swooped down and dropped a note in front of her. She was quick to snatch it up for fear that one of her friends would pick it up and keep it from her in jest. She opened it carefully and allowed her boys to lean over her shoulder, so they could read it as well.

 _Miss Granger,_

 _We have plans to make regarding our project. Bring your friends to my office after your meeting tonight._

 _P.D._

This must mean that Dumbledore had information about another horcrux. She really wanted to blow it off, she had the hag professor to get rid of, but she couldn't. Taking down her grandfather was even more important than getting rid of Umbridge. With a sigh, she cast a wandless incendio and burned the scrap of parchment in her hand.

Lunch ended, and Hermione and her boys made their way out of the Great Hall. Spotting the twins, Hermione went forward and caught their elbows, so she could pull them into an empty classroom. Harry and Draco watched from the door, casting silencing spells and wards to ensure their privacy. Hermione took George's hand in hers first, one of her hands flat, his hand palm down on hers, and her other hand palm down on top of his. She supposed that if the wrong person were to see the action, it would appear intimate, but she didn't let that bother her. The twins were like her brothers and they knew it.

Hermione allowed magic to flow through her hands and into George's. While it wasn't nearly as strong as it was when she had healed Draco, the concept was still the same. George remained silent as she concentrated her magic to the words on his hand. After a minute, Hermione opened her eyes and released his hand to see what her handiwork had done. While the words had still been bleeding when she began, the words were now healed over with no redness around them.

The words themselves were extremely faint. There was still a scar, but if you didn't know that it was there, you wouldn't see it. Hermione was rather proud of her work, holding it out for George to inspect. Fred stepped forward to look at his twin's hand and both gasped.

"Merlin, Granger, that's amazing!" Hermione couldn't help but chuckle and George's words. Hermione let out a full laugh when Fred elbowed his twin out of the way.

"My turn, do me, do me!" While chuckling, Hermione took the same position with Fred that she had with George. Everyone watched closely now as she poured her magic into Fred through her hands. Another minute passed and when Hermione released Fred, his hand matched his twin's. Both compared scars for a minute or so until Hermione cleared her throat.

"I mean it, no more drawing the attention to yourselves. We'll get some other students to help volunteer." Both boys nodded their heads in agreement, though Hermione was certain that they really didn't agree. They were merely doing what she told them because they feared her wrath if they didn't.

Hermione sent them on their way and sent Harry on his way to Divination. She and Draco made their way to Arithmancy, now in danger of being late since she had to heal the twins. The pair clipped along at a brisk pace, determined to not be tardy. They entered the classroom just in the nick of time, the bell sounding just as they took their seats.

Professor Vector began their lecture immediately, one about differentiating between which equations needed to be used at what time. It was an interesting lesson and Hermione was excited to work the problems handed out to them with an hour remaining in the class. Since they could work in pairs, Hermione paired with Draco and the two tackled the problems together.

The pair handed in their assignment just before the bell rang, dismissing classes for the day. They gathered their things and departed from the Arithmancy classroom to start for the Great Hall. Hermione and Draco were both silent as they made their way through the castle, Hermione contemplating just what they were going to do about the Umbridge situation.

They sat down to dinner once Harry arrived and the boys dug in with gusto. Hermione ate a much more moderate pace, still considering her options regarding the toad. Everyone left her alone, seeing that she was in a contemplative mood. There were whispers all down the table about the upcoming meeting; Hermione knew that they were excited. They were still covering the patronus charm since only a handful of the students had mastered the spell. To everyone's surprise, after Hermione had produced her fox, the next student to succeed was Neville. He had been surprised and thrilled at the same time, blustering about how he couldn't believe that he had managed to produce his bear.

Hermione ate all she could of the roast chicken and potatoes before she pushed the plate away. She looked up to the High Table and watched as her father did his absolute best to brush off Umbridge from her obvious flirting and fawning. Every time Hermione had to witness this she wanted to get sick. Tonight, however, it helped her make her decision. She didn't want the bitch in trouble, she wanted her fired and Hermione could think of only one sure way to make sure that happened.

The boys interrupted her train of thought by tugging her to her feet, so they could go get the meeting room ready. Hermione didn't know why they insisted on going so early, it took them less than ten minutes to get the room ready after all, but she didn't complain. The Gryffindor followed them willingly, more than happy to let them converse back and forth about the details of the meeting.

Harry paced the corridor in front of the Room of Requirement, making the door appear before them. Hermione followed their usual routine and made her way to the bookcases on the far end of the room while the boys made sure that the dummies were out of the way. Hermione started a new book on defense and read through three chapters before the other students began to appear through the doors in small groups.

Hermione laid her book aside once most of the students were there. Harry and Draco were talking with Seamus and Dean, so she made her way over to them, shooting a smile at her brother along the way. The boys went silent when she arrived at their side, both leaning over to kiss her temple. She gave them a small smile as she spoke.

"I want to talk to everyone after the meeting, so we need to cut if off a little early." Draco reached out and played with the ends of her curls while Harry threaded his fingers through hers.

"Not a problem, 'Mi, we'll give you ten minutes at the end." She nodded and gestured for Harry that it was time to begin. Harry stepped to the front of room and shot sparks out of his wand.

"Alright, everyone, let's get started because we need to quit ten minutes early. Hermione has something she needs to talk to all of us about." He began motioning for all of them to move further away from each other.

"We're going to continue practice with the patronus charm. Half of you have achieved a corporeal patronus and all of you have produced mist. Keep practicing, this charm is very difficult, and you've already come so far with it."

Nobody needed any further instruction. They all began casting, hoping that they would produce a patronus. Now that Hermione could cast one, she had no problems coaxing her little fox to come out. Hermione and Draco both made their way through the room with Harry, helping where they could. As if by unspoken understanding, Neville stayed near Ron, Lavender, and Parvati. Apparently, it was clear that none of the trio cared to go help them. Draco settled on helping the twins while Hermione tackled Ginny, Luna, and Theo. Harry flitted from group to group, offering help where it was needed.

Of all the students, Luna was next to master the spell, a small hare shooting from the end of her wand to sniff and nibble at the ground. Hermione could only assume that it was invisible grass that the silvery animal was eating. Ginny began congratulating her loudly which caused Luna to lose concentration. Hermione was quick to offer her congratulations, as was Harry and the rest of the room. Luna took over helping Ginny, so Hermione was able to focus on Theo. He was getting more and more frustrated, finally reaching the point where he threw his wand.

"I can't cast one, I'm a dark wizard and my magic knows it." Hermione had expected him to shout his words, but he didn't. His voice was almost a whisper. Hermione retrieved his wand and held it out to him.

"What memory are you using?" Theo finally raised his head enough to meet his eyes.

"The photo I have of my mother holding me when I was born." Hermione took his hand in hers and gave him a soft smile.

"Her death makes you sad?" He gave her a nod. She nodded.

"I used my muggle parents at first and I couldn't get it to work. Harry suggested that I try something happy that didn't make me sad at the same time." Hermione shook the wand at him, indicating that he should take it. He reached out and took it, looking contemplative. He gave no warning when he swished his wand again. This time, instead of only mist, a crocodile leapt from the end of her brother's wand and began to prowl the room, snapping at anyone that came too close.

The smile on Theo's face was brilliant and she could see that he was extremely proud of his crocodile. After he let the crocodile roam the room for a full minute, he lowered his wand and turned happily to Hermione.

"You were right, I can't believe I did it." Hermione gave him a hug and held him tight.

"Congratulations, Theo. You've passed the patronus charm."

Hermione moved on to help a small group of Hufflepuffs while Theo moved to help a pair of Ravenclaws. There wasn't much time left to practice so Hermione only had time to reiterate what Harry had already told them. Once Harry called the meeting to end, Hermione made her way to the front of the room to stand by Harry. Draco came to stand by her, so they would be a united front. Hermione cleared her throat to gain everyone's attention.

"I realized today that Umbridge is out of control. I was unaware that when she is assigning detention with herself she's using a blood quill on students. If I hadn't seen the evidence on a couple students hands myself, I probably wouldn't have believed it." Zacharias Smith called out from the back.

"Who were the students? Are you sure that it was Umbridge?" Hermione flicked her gaze to the twins and gestured with her head that it was up to them to come clean if they so choose. After a quick glance to the other, both twins turned to face the Hufflepuff.

"It was us. We keep getting detention because the hag is picking on the little kids." Hermione waited until they had turned back to face her before she continued.

"She's giving detention to the twins and making them cut words into their hands because they're protecting the little kids. First years have no business using a blood quill. I have a plan that's going to get rid of that bitch. There is a small chance that we'll get in trouble, but if we do it right, the chance would be extremely small. Who's in?" Most of the people were raising their hands but there were a few that looked leery of the situation. Zacharias, one of the students that weren't raising their hands, called out again.

"Before I commit to anything, I want to know what the plan is." Hermione gave him a pleasant smile.

"Sure, as long as you agree to be obliviated when you leave." Most of the students gasped at her words and she realized that she should probably explain.

"I know that sounds like it's a bit extreme, but we need to get rid of this hag and if one person opens their mouth about the plan, we're all going to be fucked. It's for everyone's protection." There were far less worried looks at her words. After a few moments, those that had looked wary were raising their hands, indicating that they were in. Zacharias still looked unsure but finally relented.

"Alright, I'm in. What's this plan?" Hermione began to wander at the front of the room, careful how she chose her words.

"We all know that if you want to run a club in this school, you must have a school sponsor, one of the professors usually. We don't have one. We're going to let one of the little kids slip the information that we meet in here to Umbridge in return for getting no punishment. She's going to storm up here and catch us. Trust me, she hates Harry with a passion, so she'll tell everyone else to go back to their common rooms except for Harry and his closest friends. We'll bear the brunt of her anger. All it will take is Harry to get sassy with her and she'll try to attack him. I'm going to be waiting there with a recorder and I'm going to record every word she says. When I disarm her, I'm going to take the tape to the governors. They won't be able to stand by when we have proof. Not to mention, we'll have all the professors behind us, none of them like her." Terry Boot, standing in the middle of the room, called out.

"I know I'm a pureblood, but I was under the impression that muggle electronics didn't work in Hogwarts because of the high level of magical energy in the air." Hermione was surprised that a pureblood would think to ask about that.

"Last year, I invented a spell that would ward the electronic so the magical energy wouldn't affect it. That's the best way to explain it." Hannah Abbott called out from the back.

"What if she hurts one of us?" Hermione was trying to be patient, but it was proving to be difficult. She did her best to keep the bite out of her voice.

"Hannah, she's already hurting us. At least if it happens on our terms, we can get her fired." The blond girl tilted her head to the side and shrugged, conceding the point to Hermione. Hermione continued.

"I will take our schedule into account since we only have one meeting scheduled in the coming weeks. We may have to schedule one depending on when I can get one of the little kids to leak the information." Everyone was nodding their agreement with her plan. She heaved a sigh as she ploughed on even though she was certain that her request would be met with less than excited responses.

"The twins have been fielding Umbridge when it comes to the little kids. They can't do it anymore, I've healed them as much as I can, but if they continue to cut into their hands, it will scar more than it already has. We need volunteers to help keep the hag away from the littles. We can all take turns." Hermione didn't expect the response that she got.

All the Gryffindors raised their hands, that she expected. She was surprised that most of the Hufflepuffs raised theirs as well. Not a single Ravenclaw volunteered. Hermione had thought that there would be at least a few. Out of the corner of her eye, she did catch a glimpse of Luna waving her hand, and Hermione amended her thought. Just one Ravenclaw. She gave them all a smile.

"Thank you. If you see the bitch hounding the littles, take the Fred and George approach and cause a little trouble to catch her attention." There were nods through the room and Hermione knew that the meeting needed to end. They were due in Dumbledore's office.

Harry took the spotlight once more, told everyone that they had performed beautifully, and dismissed them. The boys began clearing up the room and Hermione sighed. She was going to have to listen to the Headmaster's bullshit and she had a feeling that she wasn't going to like it.

This was going to be a long conversation.

-O-

Severus sighed as he turned the page in his book. He hated the fact that he couldn't be reading in the comfort of his quarters, but he knew the meeting with Albus needed to happen. He had instigated it after all.

The Headmaster hadn't had a clue where to begin looking for the next horcrux. Severus had told Albus that he would keep his ears open and see if his father let anything slip about special locations. While Severus himself hadn't heard anything, another Death Eater that wasn't backing the Dark Lord had.

Lucius had contacted Severus just the day before and told him that he had heard the Dark Lord mention something about sending a brand new "protection" feature to his old family home. Severus hadn't had the slightest idea where that was, but once he had told Dumbledore that he had overhead his father speaking with Lucius, the Headmaster had sworn that he knew exactly where the Dark Lord had been referring. This exchange had prompted the meeting that they were supposed to be having that evening. While Severus agreed that it was necessary, he would have liked to have been able to wait in his quarters rather than in the Headmasters office.

Severus' inner monologue was cut short by the sound of the door opening and three teens entering the Headmaster's office. With a happy sigh, Severus put down the book, thankful that he no longer had to pretend to be reading. After this meeting he could go back down to his quarters, mark a few essays that the first years had turned in, and go to bed. It was no surprise that Severus was exhausted. The Headmaster had already stood and was gesturing for his daughter and her boyfriends to take seats before the fire.

Severus watched in unveiled amusement as Hermione made her mates sit on each end, so she could take up pride of place in the middle. They both just shook their heads at her bossiness but neither said a single word to admonish her. The Headmaster had just handed them tea when Albus opened the conversation.

"We all know that we need to find and destroy Voldemort's horcruxes as quickly as possible. We've successfully destroyed three of the horcruxes so there are still three left. I'm not sure what the horcrux is, but Severus heard some enlightening information about where one could be located. It's actually not far from the graveyard in which Tom made his return." Potter raked his hand through his hair and muttered.

"Just wonderful." Severus wanted to snort in amusement but refrained for no other reason than to speed this meeting along. Hermione took the reins of the conversation.

"It sounds like this is a remote location. Do we know what kind of protections he has set up? Going in blind again doesn't sound like the best idea." Albus shook his head regretfully.

"Unfortunately, no we don't. That's why I think that all five of us should go after the next one. The way Severus described your grandfather's words, I have a feeling that the protection will be fierce." Severus tapped his chin with his fingertips as he considered the Headmaster's words.

While he wasn't the happiest about taking Draco and Potter with them anywhere, especially after the fiasco in the cave, he was even less thrilled about Hermione going along. It was true that she incredibly powerful and she was probably the smartest of them all, but the fact that she could be in danger made his heart shudder. He knew that he couldn't handle losing her again. His daughter was completely unaware of his leeriness and ploughed on.

"When are you wanting to do this?" Both boys remained silent, but both looked eager to run off on this adventure. Severus decided that Hermione and Potter had been poor influences on his grandson if he looked that excited to run off into what would surely be danger. The Headmaster began stroking his beard as he considered her question.

"We wouldn't want to deprive you three of your first Valentine's Day together so how about we shoot for the fifteenth?" Severus felt a sense of dread that they were going to embark on this. He decided to intervene.

"Headmaster, after the last time I'm not entirely sure that the three of them should be going. If they were to be injured, it would cause rumors to circulate and questions would be asked. I think it would be better if just you and I went or if we brought Minerva into the picture." Albus shook his head.

"Absolutely not. I was leery to bring you four into the fold because the more people that know the more of a chance there is of the information getting out." Severus gritted his teeth at the expected answer. The Headmaster wouldn't relent so Severus would just have to make sure that he did his absolute best to protect his three charges. In a rare show of emotion, Severus sighed and raked his hand through his hair.

"Fine, have it your way Albus, but I will never forgive you if one of them gets injured or worse." His words left them all looking apprehensive but no less determined to go. Realizing that there wasn't anything else left to discuss, Severus stood.

"If that's all, let us all head to bed." Hermione and her two boys went to their feet, but his daughter hesitated in front of the Headmaster.

"Are you aware of what Umbridge is doing to students in detention?" Dumbledore at least looked sheepish as he answered.

"I'm more than aware of what is happening in this school. I'm also aware that there is nothing I can do about it because the school governors have tied my hands. They won't take anyone's word for it if we were to go to them and tell them that she is using a blood quill. I would need hardcore proof and there isn't a single person that has come forward with words cut into their hands. Until I have proof, there is nothing that I can do." Hermione huffed slightly at his words and Severus could tell that she was livid even though she seemed to understand what the Headmaster was saying. He started to worry when Hermione gave the Headmaster a devious smile.

"No worries, Headmaster, you won't be seeing any marks on hands, but you'll have your proof. When I come to you with proof, I expect that bitch to be out on her arse." Severus was surprised when Albus chuckled at his daughter's words.

"You have my word, Miss Granger." Severus watched at the two boys began to tug her towards the door but smiled when she stopped and came back to him, so she could wrap her arms around his waist. The Slytherin didn't even hesitate anymore. His arms went around her shoulders and held her close, his lips pressing a kiss into her hair line. He released her when she pulled away.

"I love you, Dad." He fingered one of her curls.

"I love you too, sweet." Severus watched as the three of them left, shutting the door behind them. He turned back to Albus and couldn't keep the displeasure off his face.

"I think you're making a mistake in not taking Minerva with us. I know that the three of them together can accomplish amazing things, but the fact remains that they are still children. I don't want my daughter running into a situation where she could get hurt." Albus narrowed his eyes at the Potion's Master.

"This is war and she's in an especially precarious situation with who her grandfather is. She's going to be in danger just sitting on the side lines simply because of who she is. At least if she goes with us, she's helping, for one, and we can watch out for her, for two. Think about it." While Severus knew that the Headmaster was speaking the truth, that didn't mean that he had to like it. With a huff or irritation, he answered Albus.

"Have it your way." He didn't even bother to answer the Headmaster before he spun around and made his way to the door.

Severus slammed the door behind him and made his way to the dungeons, in need of the solace that his quarters would provide. He understood where the Headmaster was coming from in saying that she wasn't going to be safe regardless, but he also was staunchly against using children in war unless it was necessary. He muttered the password to enter his quarters and immediately went to his desk, so he could pull out a tumbler and fire whiskey.

After pouring himself a drink, Severus settled in his armchair to contemplate his daughter's words about Umbridge. The woman was a menace and she had no business being in a school with children. He knew that the woman had made Potter use a blood quill, but he had never imagined that she was using it on other students. He wasn't sure what his daughter had planned but if he knew her, it was guaranteed to be vindictive.

Severus smiled to himself. He was going to get to see daughter in all her Slytherin glory and he couldn't wait. He threw back the last of his whiskey and made his way to his bedroom.

Bed never sounded better.

A/N- I struggled getting this chapter written and I'm not sure why. If it's terrible I'm sorry. I do hope that you enjoy it ((: Leave me your thoughts, they make me happy. Reviews = love.

Next up, a Valentine's Day that doesn't end quite like you'd expect.

Love,

Alicia


	33. Chapter 33

A/N- The last chapter didn't seem as well received as my chapters usually are and for that I can only apologize. I know it wasn't the best chapter but hang tough. This chapter promises a bit more action, so I hope you enjoy it. I also had a guest reviewer ask just how long this story was going to be. If my muse doesn't come out and play, which it has been known to do, I am currently planning on 49 chapters. My muse is a bipolar bitch, however, and is currently off her meds so who knows what we'll end up with. This being said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: Most everything in this story has been done before, there just might be a personal twist on the story line. Even then, I'm sure this idea has been written many times before. I haven't made a dime, pound, or knut off any of my stories no matter how badly I may wish it.

Chapter 33

February 14, 1996

Hermione hated Valentine's Day, she always had. Even when she was young she couldn't grasp the concept behind Valentine's Day because it had made no sense that you would only show your love and appreciation for someone on one day of the year. Hermione had always believed that should happen every day of the year. While many others disagreed with her, Hermione felt that she was correct. The fact that Draco and Harry wanted to take her to Hogsmeade for the holiday made her want to throw up in her mouth.

Yet, here she sat at the Gryffindor table, waiting for her two boyfriends to finish their meal so they could leave the castle and make their way to Hogsmeade. Hermione was unsure as to just how she had lost the battle with her boys, but the fact remained that it had happened. They had bullied her into going to Hogsmeade with them and she had been naïve enough to believe them when they said that it wouldn't be like a date. Now she would have to suffer through who knew how many bad pick up lines and broken hearts from her peers along the way. Today's youth really was so predictable.

It seemed that everyone around them at the Gryffindor table had dates for the trip to Hogsmeade. It was completely unprecedented that classes would be cancelled on a Friday for no other reason than it was a fake holiday but to be honest, Hermione wasn't surprised. Dumbledore had always favored the holiday, bedecked in his lurid robes. It was enough to make Hermione cringe but there wasn't anything that she could do about it.

Fred and George were double dating with Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell, though she was unsure of exactly who was going with who. Ginny and Luna were attending together as was expected. Neville had plucked up the courage to ask Hannah Abbott to accompany him, something that Hermione would admit that she hadn't seen coming. Seamus had asked Lisa Turpin and Dean had asked Cho Chang. She knew for a fact that Ron was attending the little town with Lavender and that her brother had asked Millicent Bulstrode, quite pretty since she had shed her baby fat over the summer.

Hermione hated to accept the fact that Valentine's Day was a holiday, but it appeared everyone around her agreed that it was.

The Gryffindor had already finished her toast, fruit, and porridge and had long since pushed the plate away. Harry and Draco had indulged in a full English breakfast as was there usual. Hermione couldn't have been more pleased when her boys finally pushed their plates away, full at last. She was about to suggest returning to their rooms to wait until the crowds had passed but it seemed as if her boys had other plans. Draco pulled Hermione to her feet and summoned her cloak while Harry took her hand and started to pull her towards the Entrance Hall.

The carriages ran from nine in the morning until six that evening between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, but nobody usually embarked on their way to the small town until around ten in the morning due to having a lie in. It appeared that her boys were taking advantage of the fact that the carriages would be mostly unoccupied, so they could make their journey in peace. Harry let Draco step into the carriage first, so he could hand her up to him. While it was utterly ridiculous of them to act like she was incapable of getting herself into a carriage, she found it endearing nonetheless.

Harry stepped up into the carriage behind them, just barely catching sight of several other people headed for the carriages as their own took off in the direction of Hogsmeade. They chattered about classes, homework, quidditch practices and the like. Hermione smiled to herself. It was obvious that her boys were making sure that their "date" didn't feel like a date since she didn't consider the day a holiday.

Hermione took in the scenery as they travelled to Hogsmeade, the woodland around them covered in snow and ice. While Hermione had never been a fan of winter unless she could spend it indoors in front of the fire with a book, she could appreciate the beauty that was associated with the season. The snow cover was a symbol for the world dying so that it could be reborn in the springtime, a process that Hermione found to be magical.

The trip wasn't long, only ten minutes or so, but Hermione was ready to be out of the cramped carriage. The carriages were made for four people, but Harry and Ron seemed to take up most of the space available. Harry stepped out of the carriage first and he held his hand out for her, taking it softly so he could guide her down onto the snow-covered ground. Draco left the carriage behind her, his arm wrapping around her waist as they started for the first store they came across.

Being in the little square of the village brought back the memories of the last time that she had been there. Images of herself fighting four Death Eaters at once, even if she knew that they theoretically wouldn't harm her, weren't things that she wanted to see in her mind's eye on Valentine's Day. Shaking her head slightly to clear the thoughts from her mind, she allowed the boys to pull her into the quidditch shop.

Hermione didn't expect to have any fun in the quidditch store, so she was pleasantly surprised when she did. The boys made it a game to find the perfect gear for her to wear to their games, clearly supporting her boyfriends in their chosen sport, but not taking blatant sides either. They spent over an hour finding her the perfect apparel for their matches which they swiftly bought for her when she agreed that she liked the clothing. Even though she wanted to protest them spending money on her, she let them do as they wished. They had agreed with her beforehand that she wouldn't have to buy them gifts if she let them have their way while in Hogsmeade.

The Gryffindor couldn't keep her mind from wandering to their trip the following day as they made their way through the streets of Hogsmeade. She knew that her father was most unhappy with the fact that they were going, but she also recognized that there was no way that she would trust Dumbledore to take care of her father, shit, he had barely been able to save both her mates against inferi. Who knew what her grandfather would have waiting for them at this remote little house in the middle of nowhere?

This meant that Hermione was going whether her father liked it or not. She had already lost her muggle parents through no fault of her own and she didn't think that she could handle losing her biological father because he had been a proud bastard that didn't want the help of three teens. While her father was a powerful wizard in his own right and had heaps more experience than she did, Hermione knew that she was much stronger, especially with Harry and Draco at her side.

The boys pulled her into Honeydukes next even though it was nearing time for lunch. Hermione knew that both of her boys had a sweet tooth, only being sated by chocolate. Hermione had never been a huge fan but was the occasional fan of sugar quills. She went without an argument and watched fondly as both of her boys raided the store to find the things they wanted to purchase most. Predictably, Harry returned to the counter with chocolate frogs, chocolate cauldrons, and chocolate wands while Draco had a load of choco-loco, pumpkin pasties, treacle fudge, and exploding bonbons. Hermione could only gape at the absurd amount of sweets in their arms before shaking her head with a small chuckle.

Hermione held her one box of sugar quills out to Draco, so he could add it to his pile of candy. She watched as Flume's wife rang up their items in disbelief, quite surprised that two boys could eat that much sugar. While Hermione wanted to scold them and warn them about what all those sweets could mean for their teeth, she didn't. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin the day for them by sounding like their mother.

Hermione was truly surprised that both boys put up with her as easily as they did. She knew that she was ridiculously bossy, that she overstepped her bounds often. Both boys rarely complained, happily obeying her without a second thought. There were times that she worried that she was far too overbearing and mentioned it to them. They simply laughed at her and assured her that if they didn't want to do what she said, they would have no problems telling her where to stick her bossiness. While she was leery of their words at first, Hermione finally decided to take them at their word and continue on her merry way.

After the astronomical amount of sweets had been paid for, Hermione allowed the pair of them to lead her to the Three Broomsticks for a spot of lunch. While Hermione wasn't starving by any means, she was a little hungry and simply loved Rosmerta's fish and chips. While Draco had never been to the pub with her, Harry had and knew exactly what she was going to order. Both boys put their own orders in and Hermione couldn't help a grin.

"I wonder why Hogwarts doesn't serve fish and chips. It's obviously not just a muggle food." Harry snorted but it was Draco that answered.

"My father told me that they don't like to serve meals that are regularly served in the muggle world. Supposedly, the board doesn't want people to associate muggle food with Hogwarts. Dumbest thing I've ever heard, but that's what I was told. Whether it's true or not I couldn't tell you."

Hermione shrugged at the bigotry of his words. While she knew that he didn't believe the sentiment, it still hurt. She wasn't a muggle born any longer but the fact that the wizarding world was so loudly opposed to the minority of muggle borns made her sick. It reminded her of the Nazis all over again. Both boys seemed to realize that Draco's words bothered her and were now doing their best to draw her out of the quiet she had fallen into.

Harry and Draco succeeded in making her laugh several times over, mostly because they were making fun of each other in a good-natured way. They even switched places and bitched about themselves as the opposite person, something that Hermione couldn't hold her laughter in at. When the finally departed from the Three Broomsticks, Hermione was of a much lighter heart than she had been when they had been eating.

As if they knew that she would want to save the best for last, the boys turned off the square, so they could enter the Hogsmeade branch of Flourish and Blotts. Before the boys let her enter, they pulled her to one of the benches just outside the door. Harry forced her to sit down so they could each sit on either side of her. She gave them a confused look.

"What in the world has gotten into you two?" Harry and Draco both grinned wolfishly at her. Hermione wasn't quite sure that she liked the look in their eyes. Draco reached into his pocket and in that moment, Hermione knew. She knew exactly what her boys were planning to do, and she was certainly not okay with it.

"No, you're not giving me a gift for this sham of a holiday, I refuse to accept it." Both laughed openly at her and although she was the reason for their laughter, she was happy to see them laughing. There were so few reasons to laugh these days. Hermione could only glare at them when Draco thrust a present in her hands, large, square, and flat. Hermione simply held it, refusing to open it. Harry tugged on one of her errant curls that was skimming her shoulder.

"Please open it, 'Mi, we both picked it out and decided that we loved it. We want you to wear it." Hermione blew a harsh breath out of her mouth.

"Why can't the two of you respect the fact that I don't want anything for this fake holiday? I let you take me to Hogsmeade and I let you buy everything that I have wanted to purchase. I plan on buying several books and letting one of you pay for them. Please, just respect that I don't want fake tokens of love just because it's Valentine's Day." Harry and Draco both stiffened next to her and Hermione instantly knew that they had taken her words wrong. She tried to backpedal immediately.

"I didn't mean that your token of love was fake, just that in general, people give fake tokens of love on this holiday. I think everyone should show their love every day of the year, not just the fourteenth of February." Even though she truly believed her words and hadn't meant them the way they sounded, Hermione knew that they didn't believe her. The looks of betrayal on their faces was more than clear. She was about to start appealing to them again, but Harry interrupted her.

"Don't bother, Hermione. You've made quite clear that you don't want us to treat you to anything special." Hermione couldn't help but feel a small frisson of anger. Her voice was rising, and she couldn't keep the shrillness out of it.

"I never said that I didn't want you to treat me, I said that I didn't want it to happen just because of this shitty holiday. Most men would be thrilled to be told that their girlfriend didn't want shite on Valentine's Day. Instead, you two do what you want and then get angry when I call you out on it. If you had waited a week, I wouldn't have argued with any of this." While Draco appeared just as angry as Harry, Hermione could tell that he was relying on his Slytherin upbringing to stay calm. Harry, however, completely Gryffindor at heart, had no problems yelling at her in front of everyone that passed by them.

"You say that you want us to show our love every day of the year. Valentine's Day is a day of the year and you're throwing our love back in our faces. We put up with so much from you, nagging us to get our homework done, bossing us around until we do what you say to shut you up, dealing with your emotional breakdowns regarding our sexual history. We fucked other people, get over it. You're the one reaping all the benefits."

Hermione couldn't believe the things that he had just said. Was that how they felt? Why were they still with her if they hated how she acted so much? She knew that she was bossy, and she knew that she could nag with the best of them, but she had trusted them enough to think that if she was too much that they would tell her. The fact that they hadn't and had instead allowed it to build to animosity pissed her off. She never got a chance to respond, however, because her boys went to their feet before her. Draco threw the gift in her lap.

"It's a sapphire necklace with extra protection spells. Don't worry, we won't be surprised if you throw it in the gutter. Probably the best place for it considering it's coming from the two of us." Hermione didn't know what she had done to warrant this type of reaction. She knew that she had hurt their feelings, but this seemed a little too far-fetched to be realistic.

Neither boy waited for her to respond. Both went to their feet and started for the road back to Hogwarts. Draco turned and threw back a "buy your own books, that will make you happy" behind him and Hermione felt the sting regardless of how far away the blond was.

The Gryffindor realized that she had been careless with her words, but their reaction seemed over the top. To her, at least. Maybe to everyone else it would seem appropriate, but she just couldn't see how their reaction was acceptable, especially after she had told them that she hadn't meant it the way she said. She really wasn't sure where to go from this, there were only so many options.

She couldn't help but wonder if she should just call it off with them. It was clear that they were unhappy with her. They felt she was too bossy and nagged at them too much. She knew that those two qualities ran deep within her, but she had trusted that they would tell her if it became too much. Apparently, she had been wrong to trust them. They had let their resentment built until they couldn't hardly stand to talk to her in a serious conversation without bringing it up.

While it would break her heart to let the two of them go, if it was for their own good, she would be able to. Her father would still be there for her and she knew that she would love to make him proud. He told her every so often that she did, but nothing beat when she could see the pride shining back at her in his inky gaze. Maybe she should ask his opinion before she did anything so desperate like breaking it off with Harry and Draco.

Hermione didn't even want to open the gift that Draco had basically thrown at her, so she shoved it down deep into her robe pockets. If her father advised her that space would be beneficial, she would return it back to them. Even though it was only early afternoon, Hermione wasn't quite sure how she felt about going into the book store. Before her argument with her boys, she had been excited. Now that the argument was over, Hermione wasn't sure if she could be excited about anything.

While she contemplated the harshness of her life, Hermione considered making a short visit into Flourish and Blotts. She knew that she shouldn't, but the fact remained that she would need something to lift her spirits up after the afternoon she had had. Before she had made the decision, Lavender and Ron strolled up to her bench, effectively ruining her day further just by sighting them. Lavender gave her a cheeky grin that she could tell was fake as fuck and Ron looked amused as ever to be there. It was in this moment that she realized that the pair had heard every word between Harry, Draco, and herself. Lavender gave her a sickly-sweet grin as she spoke.

"Don't worry, we would never expect for you to be able to keep two boys interested in you at the same time. I mean, it would be a miracle if you could keep one." Hermione gritted her teeth at the Gryffindor's words, but she did her best not to respond. Lavender merely continued, and Ronald stood next to her, grinning in his upper-handed glory, making Hermione want to punch him for every word that had ever come out of his mouth.

"You should have known that you would never be able to handle them, Granger, they're much too wild to be tamed. They want to be young and know what it means to bed down numerous witches before they finally settled down once they're outside of Hogwarts. No matter what your wizards have told you, this is every man's wish. Sure, they may act innocent when their ideals are brought before them, but they'll know that they're really lying to you. They've lied to you about how fucking annoying you are, right?" Hermione's heart clenched at the woman's words. Although she wanted to disagree with them one hundred percent, she knew that she wouldn't be able to. They both seemed to hate her and if they weren't speaking to her, there wasn't much that she could do about it.

Hermione didn't reward the girl with a trophy, but it was more than clear that the blond-haired Gryffindor had won. While Hermione started to slink into the book store without a word, her mind was thoroughly wrapped in thoughts of her and her boys. Hermione didn't seem to realize that there were several people out there that couldn't tell exactly what was going on and Lavender would do her absolute best to spin her to be the bad person. Maybe she was, she really wasn't quite sure, but that didn't mean that she wanted the whole world to know.

Hermione kept her cool as she tried to walk away, she truly did. Lavender didn't know just how much she was trying to hold herself back, so she simply kept pushing. Hermione tried to head straight into the bookstore, but it didn't do anything for the situation. Lavender stepped in front of her and crossed her arms with a smirk on her face.

"I knew this day would come, Granger. You've rubbed it in my face for years that I would never amount to anything because you were smarter than me. Now, I get to rub in your face that you've failed to keep a boyfriend because you're nothing but a stuck-up prude." Hermione knew that she shouldn't do it, but she really couldn't help it.

Hermione clenched her fist and drew back, punching Lavender right in the face.

The only other person that Hermione had ever punched was Draco, so she really didn't consider herself to be an expert. This punch, however, felt far more satisfying than the punch she had thrown at Draco. Hermione didn't want to pull her wand because she didn't want to get expelled for decimating a student, but she had no problems teaching Lavender a lesson the muggle way. Hermione had to give it to Lavender. The blond recovered quickly and threw herself at Hermione, claws unsheathed.

Hermione felt claws rake against the skin of her cheeks and it took every ounce of energy she had to not let her magic explode out of her in anger. Instead, Hermione threw herself at the blond, knocking her down to the ground. Hermione perched on the girl's abdomen and continued to rain down punches on her until she was wailing. She was unsure as to how no professors had come running but it was only going to be a matter of time. Just as Hermione decided that she needed to stop, strong arms pulled her back. Once she realized that it was Ron pulling her off Lavender, Hermione unleashed her magic.

Ron went flying behind her, landing on his arse in the middle of the square. His face was turning purple in anger, so Hermione stood from Lavender's belly and glared down at the girl. She could hear Ron approaching so she had only moments to get her point across. Hermione bent close to Lavender's ear, mindful to not get any blood on her.

"This was child's play, Brown. You keep your mouth shut about me and mine or you'll see the real deal." Hermione didn't wait around to hear what Ron Weasley had to say to her. None of it was going to be good so she beat feet back towards Hogwarts.

Hermione didn't want to go back to Hogwarts now that she knew she was going to be in trouble. There was now way that Lavender would show back up at the castle looking as she did and not say a word about what happened to her. She knew that she shouldn't have lost her temper with the stupid witch, but Lavender just wouldn't stop. Truthfully, the witch was lucky that Hermione hadn't drawn her wand.

While she was worried about what was going to happen to her once she returned to Hogwarts, Hermione was much more worried about her relationship. Was it too much to ask for the boys to respect the fact that she didn't want to make a big to-do about Valentine's Day? If they had wanted to take her out the day after, the week after, or the month after, she would have loved every second of their attention.

Had she overreacted? Hermione suspected that she had but she also hadn't expected the level of vitriol she had received from her boyfriends. Why hadn't they told her that the felt as though they were "putting up" with her? Why hadn't they been honest with her? While she was slightly hurt that her personality traits were irritating to them, what hurt the most was that they hadn't told her. How could she trust them to be honest with her when they continued to keep things from her? She couldn't possibly be that scary to them.

Should she break things off with them? It was clear that they were unhappy. It would kill her to do it but the last thing she wanted was for them to be miserable with her and feel as if they were stuck. Hermione could no longer trust them to tell her that they were miserable and wanted to move on so maybe she needed to do it for them. Her heart started breaking at the thought of it, but she couldn't help but think that it was necessary.

Hermione was unsure if she should talk to them first or if that would just make it harder for them all. While she wanted to discuss their problems and find out just why they hadn't told her their feelings, the thought of making them feel guilty for what they were doing to her made her pause. The whole situation was so fucked, and she was unsure of what to do.

Hermione settled on a fallen tree, so she could watch the setting sun. She hadn't realized that so much time had passed but she supposed that the sun wouldn't lie. She needed to go back to the castle and face the consequences of what she had done to Lavender but that didn't mean that she was excited to do so. The Gryffindor knew that her Head of House would be angry and disappointed, but it was made better by the fact that her father would understand. He had yet to fail her. She knew that he wouldn't be happy with the way she handled things, but she trusted him to know that she couldn't take anymore of Lavender's mouth.

Sighing, Hermione stood from the tree and started to make her way back to the castle. She didn't see any carriages in the distance, so she started walking. It was only a ten-minute walk, one that Hermione felt that she could do with to get herself ready to face Professor McGonagall. She chuckled softly to herself when she realized that she feared her Head of House's reaction more than the dreaded potion master's.

The trip to Hogwarts was uneventful. Hermione must have been the last student out because there were no longer any carriages running the distance between the little town and the school. The grounds were quiet, and it took Hermione a few moments to realize that it was because all the students were in the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione took a deep breath and pushed the doors open going into the Entrance Hall. A burst of warm air puffed her curls slightly and made Hermione smile. It had been cold out there after the sun had gone down. Not to her surprise, Professor McGonagall was waiting for her as if she had known that she was coming. Her Head of House didn't mince words.

"Is it true that you pinned Miss Brown to the ground and hit her repeatedly and then used magic to fling Mr. Weasley across the square when he tried to stop you?" While Hermione had been contrite before, McGonagall bringing up Ronald erased every bit of positive feeling she had had about the situation. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and met the older woman's gaze.

"I did. I'm not sorry. That bitch has tormented me since the beginning of the year and I have taken it quietly. I finally lost it and couldn't take anymore. As for Ronald, he's lucky that's all I did to him. He ever touches me again and I will kill him." Her Head of House looked flustered for a moment. Hermione caught movement in the corner of her eye and realized that Harry and Draco had arrived on the scene, probably to see what had taken her so long. She originally considered talking to them first but in that moment, she knew she couldn't handle drawing it out longer than necessary. Professor McGonagall seemed to be searching for the proper punishment.

"You will go tell your father exactly what you did and then you will serve detention for the rest of the evening with him, even if that means midnight. No dinner for you, head off now." Hermione had expected worse, but she couldn't help but ask.

"What punishment did Lavender receive?" Her Head of House looked surprised that she would have the gall to ask.

"She lost twenty house points and is currently in the Hospital Wing having her face repaired." Hermione didn't know why this pissed her off, but it did. She wasn't about to be quiet about it either. Maybe being the Dark Lord's granddaughter had gone to her head after all.

"Good to know that Hogwarts punishes bullies so lightly. If I had wanted to be bullied, I would have stayed in muggle school. I'm guessing that the bitch didn't bother to tell you that she clawed my face?" The professor seemed to just notice the furrows in her student's cheeks. Before the older woman could speak, Hermione gave her an impassive look.

"Don't worry about it. Just tell everyone that I overreacted for no real reason, that I just love fighting. I mean, there have been so many instances leading up to this that that is completely believable. Thank you for your lenient punishment, Professor. I'll report to my father now." She left her Head of House standing there, mouth slighting open and clearly surprised that her student had spoken so candidly to her. Both of her boys stepped forward, concerned looks on their faces, and Hermione couldn't help the clench of her heart. Harry lifted his hand to her face but stopped short of touching her.

"'Mi, your face…" He didn't finish his sentence, so Hermione took the opportunity to speak.

"My face is fine." Complete lie since it was now burning, and she could feel the dried blood on her face cracking. She really needed to clean it up.

"I think that we need to end this while we can salvage a tiny bit of the friendship we have. While I may have overreacted, I never imagined that it was so difficult to put up with me because neither of you bothered to tell me. You both want someone less overbearing and I want someone that I can trust to tell me how they feel. I do love you both, but I feel like this is for the best. I'm sorry."

Tears were pricking her eyes and the last thing that she wanted to do was to cry in front of them. Without giving them a chance to respond, Hermione took off across the Entrance Hall towards the dungeons. The stress of the day mixed with the fact that they were going on a horcrux hunt the following day was starting to get to her. She knew that her father would make her serve a fair detention and that didn't bother her, but she truly did just want a good night's sleep since she was exhausted.

Neither Harry nor Draco followed her to her father's office. For this she was grateful. The last thing that she wanted to do was to have a full-blown argument with the pair of them in front of her father. Even though she was more than aware of her father's password, she knocked on his office door. When it swung open, she stepped inside to see her father grading essays at his desk. He lifted an eye brow at her, silently asking her what it was that she needed. Hermione heaved a sigh before she began.

"My Head of House sent me down here to serve detention for as long as you see fit." Her father's face darkened and for a moment, Hermione was unsure if her father was going to be understanding or not. By his expression, she was guessing not. He tapped his chin with his finger after setting down his grading quill.

"What have you done to earn detention under the dreaded potion's master?" Hermione couldn't help but to crack a tiny smile at his words since they mirrored her inner monologue not that long ago.

"Lavender Brown wouldn't quit heckling me, so I punched her in the face. When she raked her nails down my face, I shoved her down, crawled on top of her, and beat her up pretty good. I threw Ronald across the square when he touched me trying to get me to stop." Her father's face hardened, and she knew that understanding was now completely out of the picture. He stood and leaned all his weight onto his hands when he leaned over onto the desk.

"You're telling me that the granddaughter of the Dark Lord beat down a pureblood in full view of the public where it is sure to get back to an evil megalomaniac?" Not trusting her voice, she simply nodded. Her father picked up his pot of ink and threw it across his office where it spattered on the wall.

"You're going to ruin this whole charade because you can't control yourself. The Dark Lord favors pure blood against all else, he wouldn't be happy to hear that you are going against his beliefs for no good reason." Hermione felt a stab of pain at his words. While she knew that she had taken it too far, she had been tormented for months now. How was that not a good reason? She wanted to point out her reasoning.

"Dad, I only did it -." She was cut off by a sharp hiss.

"I am not your father right now, I am your professor." His words stung but she dropped her eyes and stared at her feet while she willed herself to not cry. His next words cut like a knife.

"I've never been more disappointed in you."

Hermione didn't respond because she didn't dare show him that a single tear had escaped her eye to wend its way down her cheek. She simply stood there and waited for him to assign her a task.

"Are you even sorry you did it?" Hermione wanted to tell him that she was, but she had just broken things off with her boys because they hadn't been honest, and she refused to do the same thing. When she spoke, her voice was soft and in danger of cracking.

"No." She could feel the tension grow worse after her words. His voice was like granite.

"Clean up this ink. Then go to store cupboard and begin cleaning it out, no magic. I want the products gone through, the jars cleaned, inside and out, and the shelves cleaned before you reshelf them in alphabetical order. If you get done too early with that, I'll find something else for you to do."

Hermione didn't speak again during her detention. She hadn't expected her father to be happy, but she had expected more understanding than she had gotten. He had been bullied, after all, and he and Sirius had hexed each other mercilessly in school. It felt a little hypocritical, but she supposed that as a parent you could say, "do as I say, not as I do."

What hurt the most was the fact that he was disappointed in her. Her muggle parents had never once told her that she had disappointed them, not even when she had ended up in the principal's office because she had been a suspect in one of the girls in her class losing all her hair. Though nobody could every prove it, Hermione knew that she had done it with her accidental magic. In fact, in all her bouts of trouble in Hogwarts, they had always told her how proud they were of her.

Hermione finished with the ink while her father angrily scratched on the papers before him and she felt terrible for the student whose paper he was grading. The tension between the two of them was so thick that she could have cut it with a knife and she hated it. Once the ink was gone, she moved into the classroom and set to work on the store room.

While she worked, Hermione vowed to herself that she would do everything that she could to make her father proud again. She hated the feeling that she had let him down, like she wasn't good enough. Honestly, it was heart wrenching and the sooner that feeling was gone, the better she would be.

It was well past midnight when she finally finished, the store room looking far better than it ever had. Hermione was grimy and dirty, her back hurt, her hands were raw, and her cheeks stung. At this point in the evening, she wanted to take a shower, heal her face, and fall into bed. Then she realized that she didn't have a bed except for the one in Gryffindor Tower in the same room as Lavender. She knew without a doubt that if she had to listen to one word from that bitch in her current mood, she's hit her again and she wasn't sure that she would be able to stop. Hermione considered her options as she went back to her father's office and stood before him.

"The store room is finished, Professor. Did you have another task for me?" Hermione was praying that he said no. Her father waited a full three minutes before he acknowledged her. His gaze was still hard but there was a flicker of something else behind his eyes.

"You may go. If this happens again, one detention will look like a picnic." Hermione kept her face impassive, determined to stay strong and not look weak in front of her father. Gryffindors were known for wearing their hearts on their sleeve and she was trying to overcome that stigma for the simple fact that in her position and the current climate, it was dangerous for everyone to know how she felt.

"Yes, sir. Goodnight." She waited for him to speak but he remained silent and turned his attention back to the papers in front of her. The message was clear. Her detention was over, and she had been dismissed. Hermione bit her tongue, so she wouldn't say anything stupid and made her way out of the door. On the main staircase leading back up to the ground level, Hermione ran into Professor McGonagall who was obviously headed down to the dungeons. Hermione remained silent as she passed her Head of House, but her professor reached out and took her arm.

"Miss Granger, I -." Hermione cut her off.

"I told you it was fine, Professor. I served my detention and if you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed." Her professor looked saddened seemed to think twice about speaking further. Hermione had made it three more steps when her professor spoke again.

"You ended things with Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy." Hermione stopped but remained facing away from her professor.

"I really don't see how my personal life affects you, Professor. Especially since we're no longer in a relationship." When she was met with silence, Hermione continued on her way.

On her way through the castle, Hermione decided that she would go to Gryffindor Tower and stay with Ginny. Even though she shared a dorm with four other girls, she was certain that they would be far more circumspect that Lavender and Parvati would be. She didn't meet a single person on her way to the Tower and the Fat Lady seemed surprised to see her. She gave the password and was let in.

Hermione made her way to the shower and stripped off her filthy clothes. In the mirror, she took in the damage done to her cheeks and waved her hand over them, healing the scratches completely. The tiny white lines left behind wouldn't be noticeable if you didn't know they were there. She considered leaving them but decided that she would regret it later. Doing the same thing to her cheeks that she had done to the twins' hands, Hermione erased the marks completely.

She showered off quickly, wasting no time under the hot water as she usually liked to. When she stepped out, she realized that she had nothing to change into. Rather than call an elf, Hermione wrapped a towel around herself and made her way into Ginny's dorm. The Gryffindor crept to the redhead's bed and shook her friend softly. Ginny bolted awake and stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"Hermione?" Her friend sounded so worried and it was a welcome sound. She almost broke down in tears but tamped them back ruthlessly.

"I can't sleep in my dorm tonight. Can I sleep with you? Will Luna get mad?" Ginny sat up completely and gave her friend a confused look.

"No, she won't be mad, but why?" Hermione raked a hand through her hair as she yawned.

"It's a long story, Gin. If you don't want me to, I'll go sleep in the common room. Can I borrow a nightgown though?" Ginny was already on her feet digging through her trunk. She threw an emerald green nightgown at her and Hermione was quick to shimmy into it. Ginny crawled back in bed and lifted the blankets in invitation. Hermione gave her a small smile before she crawled in with her friend.

It was cramped, far from comfortable, but it was better than dealing with the Terrible Two. With a wave of her hand, Hermione enlarged the bed and Ginny giggled next to her. It wasn't long before Hermione felt her eyes slide shut and sleep pull her under.

-O-

Severus was still livid at his daughter. She had gotten off easy, that much was a fact, but he hadn't been the one to assign her punishment. He had assigned her the worst of his detention material and she had followed through with no complaints. Letting her go had been against his better judgement but there was nothing for it.

Hermione had been extremely careful to show no emotion after she had tried to explain herself, but he knew that she had been hurt. His statement about not being her father but instead her professor had been a low blow, but he wanted to show her that taking your anger out on someone physically wasn't acceptable. He had to admit, however, that when she called him Professor, it had stung. She hadn't called him Professor or Severus in private in months.

Severus was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on his door. He waved his wand at it, swinging it open to reveal Minerva. He glared at her as she took a seat before his desk and remained silent until she spoke. She was acting off, but he was unsure in what way.

"I saw Hermione leaving. I was going to apologize but she cut me off. I asked her about why she broke up with those two boys when they're so clearly in love with her, but she told me quite effectively that her personal life was none of my business. I hope you did a better job at being a father than I did a professor. I've never been put in place so properly by a student. What's worse is that I've known the girl has respected me from the very start and I'm not sure that I can say that now." Severus was extremely confused, and he hated feeling like he didn't know what was going on. His eyes narrowed her way.

"What are you talking about?" Minerva glared at him but answered anyways.

"Did she tell you what she did?" Severus nodded his head impatiently.

"Miss Brown told me that Hermione had hit her, and she had in turn scratched your daughter's face which then turned into your daughter pinning her to the ground and hitting her repeatedly. I took twenty points from Miss Brown before your daughter informed me that Miss Brown is a bully. Told me that if she had wanted to continue to be bullied, she would have stayed in muggle school and gave me a hard time for not even noticing the wounds on her face. I feel terrible for believing that she would act that way for no good reason or the fact that I sent Miss Brown to the Hospital Wing and Hermione to detention when she was injured as well."

Severus didn't know what to say. How could she not have said something before he put her to work? Yes, he still would have made her serve a detention, she had been fighting after all. It wouldn't have been near as grueling since Miss Brown had only had twenty points removed from Gryffindor. Then Severus remembered that she had tried to speak to him and explain but he had cut her off and then told her that he wasn't her father. However, he wasn't done extracting information from Minerva.

"What do you mean that she broke up with Draco and Mr. Potter?" The older witch before him shrugged slightly.

"They arrived back from Hogsmeade without her and when they went to her after I had sent her to you, she told them that she wanted to salvage what little bit of friendship that she could, so she was ending things. Something about her wanting honesty and them wanting someone who wasn't overbearing." Severus couldn't believe this was happening. What had the little bastards done to his daughter to make her end their relationship? He knew that she loved them more than anything, so they must have fucked up bad. He was just about to ask where she was sleeping when there was another knock on the door.

Severus once again waved his wand at the door to swing it open only to find Potter and Draco on the other side, invisibility cloak under one arm. They stepped in his office without further ado and gave Severus anxious looks that he really wasn't too keen on. Somehow, they had hurt his baby and he wasn't inclined to help them in the least.

"Should I give the two of you detention since you're clearly out after curfew?" He meant for the statement to have more bite, but it came out sounding weary. Potter remained silent, but Draco stepped forward.

"We know Hermione is here and we really need to speak with her. We'll serve all the detentions you want if you just let us talk to her." Severus' fears were now confirmed. It was with a heavy sigh that he spoke.

"Hermione isn't here. She served her detention in silence and then left shortly before Minerva came. She's only been gone for a half hour." Both boys looked panicked, but Severus wanted answers.

"How did the two of you fuck up this time?" Both had the good sense to look ashamed. Potter was the one who spoke this time.

"We got into an argument in Hogsmeade because we bought her a Valentine's Day gift and she told us not to. She got snippy, I was a prick and told her we put up with a lot of shit from her, that she bosses up and nags us. We threw her gift at her and left her there. We didn't mean it, we were angry because we thought she'd like to be surprised. We want to grovel." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to take deep calming breaths. His daughter and her teenage woes were going to be the death of him.

"You two are fucking idiots. A witch tells you that she doesn't believe in the holiday and you make her celebrate it anyways, then do the one thing she asked you not to do. I can't imagine why she was angry. I'm sure she overreacted, she's a gods-be-damned Gryffindor, but honestly. Pull your heads out of your arses. The woman is always right. Fuck, I've never had a serious relationship and I know that." Both boys looked at him as if he had three heads.

"Get out of my office and go to bed. Grovel on your bellies in the morning." Both looked reluctant to leave but it was Draco that spoke.

"Do you know where she went to sleep? Is she safe? I can't forget what Weasley did to her." For the first time since the boys had arrived, Minerva spoke.

"She is safe. She is currently in the fourth-year girl's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower." Everyone stared at Minerva and she smirked at them all.

"Headmasters and Deputy Headmasters, or Headmistress in my case, are keyed into the wards and can tell where people are in the castle. This secret doesn't leave this room." Potter and Draco nodded their heads sagely before turning back to the door and throwing the cloak over themselves after a hurried goodnight. This time Minerva turned to him and raised a brow in question.

"Why are they worried about where she's sleeping? Is there something I'm not privy to?" Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose again. Damn nosy witches, idiotic teenaged boys, and secretive Headmasters to hell.

"My father wants them to spend as much time together as possible, so their bond will grow. Dumbledore agrees. All three of them sleep in the Room of Requirement every night." Minerva looked very scandalized.

"You know what they could be doing, she's going to end up pregnant, Merlin, what -." Severus scoffed loudly, cutting her off.

"I know exactly what they're doing, why do you think I brew my daughter a contraceptive potion every month and watch her drink it down? How do you suggest that I tell the Headmaster and the most evil wizard of all time no, that my daughter will not be doing her best to strengthen her magic, so we can win this war?" He sighed again and raked a hand through his hair.

"Trust me, I'm not a fan of thinking about what those three get up to and just what they do to my little girl, but my hands are tied. Therefore, I brew the potion and she takes it. My daughter will finish school and achieve as many masteries as she wishes before she falls pregnant." Minerva let the fuck-you look fall from her features and she nodded slightly.

"You're right, Severus, I'm sorry. We all must do what needs to be done in this war and if sleeping with two boys that obviously love her keeps Hermione safe, I will support the decision no matter how wrong I feel it is." Severus bowed his head in her direction.

"Thank you, Minerva." He sighed when she spoke again. He just wanted to go to sleep and try to figure out a way to make up his cold and callous actions to his daughter.

"Is there anything else going on that I need to know about?" Severus cursed the Headmaster once again.

"There are other things, Minerva, but I can't reveal them to you unless you are skilled in occlumency. Hermione, Draco, and Potter went through training for almost two months to be told what we know." Minerva sat up straighter and narrowed her eyes at him.

"My occlumency is decent, but rusty. I would need to practice a bit before you test me. I assume that this is going to be without the Headmaster's permission?" Severus nodded.

"Yes. He wants nobody to know but I'm tired of him dragging those three into dangerous situations. This is war and it shouldn't be fought by children." Her gaze turned hard at his words.

"Albus is doing what?" He could see that the fiery witch before him was livid and he was pleased that there was at least one professor that would take his side.

"Yes, he's taking those three into dangerous situations, hunting for things that we must find. Draco and Potter almost drowned over the holidays because Albus was incapacitated and inferi attacked. Hermione had to heal them. Tomorrow, we're all five going on another 'adventure'. Who knows what the blue fuck will happen tomorrow." Minerva stood and started pacing.

"That's shite and you know it. Leave them in school and I'll go with you." Severus let a smirk ghost across his features.

"I suggested exactly that, and the Headmaster denied my request. Trust me, if something happens to either one of those boys, Hermione won't leave anything behind of Albus. She's already less than enamored with him." Minerva stopped pacing and gave him a curious look. Severus didn't even let her ask.

"My daughter is capable of things you've never even imagined. Brush up on your occlumency and come see me when you're ready. The four of us will tell you everything. We might even make it a group chat and have Black and the wolf over to help." Minerva raised her eyebrow again.

"They know?" Severus nodded.

"Albus doesn't know but it was extremely difficult to keep it from them when they were there to witness some of it. Lupin is impervious to legilimency and Black was more than adequate at the skill. He was apparently coached in childhood." Minerva gave him a steely look and nodded.

"I'll get with you in a couple days, so you can test me. Will you be willing to offer lessons if I don't meet the standard?" Severus gave a quick nod and prayed that she was good enough. The last thing he wanted to see were private moments of a woman old enough to be his mother.

Minerva stood and made the customary gestures before leaving. Severus bid her goodnight and headed into his quarters, so he could fall into bed. He was worried about his relationship with his daughter, but it wouldn't do for him to get himself or someone else killed the following day because he was exhausted. He didn't bother with a shower, just stripped down to his boxer shorts and went to the potion cabinet in his room.

Severus quaffed the potion in his hand, Dreamless Sleep, and crawled into his bed and underneath his covers. This had been an extremely long day and he just wanted to sleep. He would consider the situation with Hermione in the morning.

A/N- Holy balls, that chapter was so slow in the beginning I almost couldn't make myself write it. I know, more teenage angst but they are teens in this fic, not adults. Hang tough… Anyways, leave me a message after the beep and let me know what ya think!

Next chapter, Gaunt shack and the next horcrux.

Love,

Alicia


	34. Chapter 34

A/N- My laws, we're already on chapter 34. It seems like just yesterday that I wrote the prologue. Time flies, I suppose. I want to thank everyone out there that is reading and reviewing my story, following and favoriting as well. The support that y'all have shown me is just mind-blowing and I want to let everyone know that I appreciate it. Now, I'm hoping that this chapter flows easier than the last chapter did. It's another action scene, so hang tight with me. Lots going on this chapter. Enough for now, though, I really want to get started!

**Shout out to Sora Loves Rain for being my 900th reviewer. You da bomb. **

Disclaimer: I don't own a single thing in this story except for the personal twist I've put on the plot. Everything else in this story has been done before. I haven't made any money from any of my stories, this one included, but maybe someday.

Chapter 34

February 15, 1996

Harry stared up at the ceiling of the Room of Requirement waiting for his wand alarm to go off. He and Draco hadn't gotten to bed until late the night before, well after midnight, and he hadn't slept well. He had been laying there awake for over an hour, waiting for his blond counterpart to rise as well.

Yesterday had been a complete shit show. He should have known better than to push Hermione into doing something that she really didn't want to. He should have listened to his inner monologue when it said that she wasn't going to like them springing a gift on her when she had clearly said that she didn't want one. He and Draco were just so bloody happy to be able to spend the holiday with her that they had ignored their better sense.

The messy-haired Gryffindor felt terrible for what had taken place in Hogsmeade. He had known that Hermione wouldn't react favorably when they pulled the gift out to give to her, that was why the pair of them had waited until the bookstore to give it to her. They had hoped that she would just accept the gift and move on since the bookstore was in sight and they were willing to let her spend the afternoon tucked away in it, buying books to her little heart's content.

Looking back, that had been manipulative. That had been Draco's contribution to the plan and Harry should have known that she would have been angered by it. Surely, she had seen right through their plans, probably part of the reason why Hermione had been so angry. He couldn't blame her for that; if he had discovered that he had been manipulated like that, he would have been livid.

Harry was unsure as to why he reacted so completely out of context. Yes, he did get exasperated with her nagging and bossiness from time to time, but it wasn't even close to the point where he was unhappy. He should have never thrown those traits of hers in her face as if they were battery acid, harsh and harmful. He had no idea why he had thrown the fact that she had been upset about their past sexual history in her face either. While it could be tiring listening to her doubt herself, Harry was honest enough to know that her self-worth was so low because of her environment.

Ron had made fun of Hermione for years. He had called her names and made her feel as if she wasn't good enough for the simple fact that she was different than he was. Lavender and Parvati were Hermione's only room mates for five years now and they had never been nice to her. They constantly told Hermione that she wasn't pretty enough and that she would never find a man that wanted her because she was too smart. Draco had called her mudblood and told her that she was trash because her blood was unworthy and that she didn't belong in their world. All the other Slytherins had mirrored his actions.

Harry thought that maybe he was perhaps the worst of all. No, he hadn't believed any of the terrible things that the others had said about her, nor did he agree with things that had been done to her, but Harry had never stood up for her or told her that their peers were complete arseholes and lying to her. The first time that it had happened was when he had beat the fuck out of Ron and Harry wasn't even sure that that would have happened if it hadn't ended in Hermione being as injured as she was.

The truth of the matter was that Hermione deserved better than she had been dealt in life. She deserved to be happy, she deserved to know that there were people out there that genuinely liked her even though she was studious, and she deserved to know that she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Instead of telling her that, Harry had thrown her less-than-desirable traits in her face and made her feel worse about herself.

Harry and Draco had been wracked with guilt by the time they had returned to Hogwarts the day before. They both realized that they had overreacted and hurt their witch at the same time. Even though he knew that they deserved to be broken up with, the fact that she had followed through with it still stung.

Harry had been livid when he had been waiting in the Great Hall for the witch to return and Ron had been bragging to Seamus and Dean about landing Hermione in detention. Harry tried to act as nonchalantly as possible, show that he was paying attention to the twins, but it had been difficult when he had heard what happened. Seamus and Dean didn't look near as amused as Ron did and Harry was grateful. He had stood up and made his way over to former best friend and clapped a heavy hand down on his shoulder, so he could lean over and threaten Ron right in his ear where nobody else could hear him.

"You touch my witch again and they won't find your body."

Ron had looked terrified for a moment before he began laughing.

"She isn't your witch anymore, mate. You took care of that all by yourself."

Harry didn't stick around to listen anymore now that his threat had been delivered.

The wand alarm buzzing pulled him back to the present, so he could smack Draco with his pillow. It had seemed weird the night before to be sleeping in the same bed without Hermione there, but they hadn't wanted to split up. After Ron had told Seamus and Dean, the story had spread like wildfire. The Slytherins didn't seem very happy with either one of them now which was just odd. Normally they would have been thrilled that their prince was breaking away from a "mudblood" but since Hermione's parentage had been announced, they were clearly on her side of things.

While Neville hadn't judged either Harry or Draco for what was going on with Hermione, the twins had been a different story. After Hermione had officially told them that they were through, the twins and taken their arms roughly and pulled them into the same classroom that Hermione had healed them in. They hadn't been nice when they informed the two of them that if they didn't fix whatever was wrong with Hermione they would answer to them. Harry knew exactly what that meant. They wouldn't get beat up or anything like that, but they would be humiliated in front of the whole school by one or several of their pranks.

Harry and Draco had been quick to agree with the twins, neither one of them relishing the thought of what the twins were capable of. Ginny hadn't said anything about the situation, just gave them encouraging looks that told them they needed to find their witch and apologize. It had all been for naught, however, since she had left detention to go crawl in bed with Ginny. Harry idly wondered what Luna would think of that.

Draco was grumbling next to him as he pulled himself up out of the bed. He didn't say a word to Harry as he headed for the loo. Harry had learned long ago that the blond was most certainly not a morning person. Harry didn't consider himself to be one either, but he was much easier to talk to before breakfast and coffee than Draco.

Harry had showered the night before, so he rose from the bed and yawned widely before going to his wardrobe and finding clothes to change into. He had just pulled jeans on when a small pop behind him alerted him to Winky appearing. He didn't say anything, but the small elf started stammering.

"I is sorry, Master H-Harry but Missy Mione sent Winky for a sets of clothes." Harry was surprised. Hermione must not want to have to deal with them if she sent an elf after her belongings. Harry nodded at the elf, signaling that she was welcome to take Hermione whatever she needed. He was surprised when the elf didn't gather all her belongings, just an outfit. Maybe there was hope yet.

Harry finished dressing and waited impatiently as Draco finished his shower and went about dressing as well. Once they were both properly dressed, they set out of the Room and down the corridor to wait outside of Gryffindor Tower. The pair settled in against the wall to wait for Hermione, determined to speak with her before they left on their mission today.

They received several odd looks from their classmates and more than a couple unhappy stares from those that were close to Hermione. It seemed like ages had gone be before Hermione crawled out of the portrait hole behind Ginny, both looking freshly showered. Hermione looked up and caught sight of the pair of them and he re-evaluated his earlier thought.

Hermione looked like shite. It was clear that she was still exhausted, dark shadows marred the delicate alabaster skin of her cheeks. Her eyes seemed dull and tired even though her clothing showed that nothing was out of place. There were no signs of the furrows Lavender had left in her cheeks and Harry could only assume that her father had healed them for her. He was still surprised that she hadn't stayed in her father's quarters with him. Then again, she never did what anyone expected of her so maybe he should refrain from such a statement. He and Draco stepped forward to greet her properly, but Ginny stepped in front of Hermione, fierce look on her face.

"Why in the world would she want to see the two of you?" Harry was surprised at the vitriol in Ginny's voice, especially since he was sure that Hermione hadn't told her a thing. Maybe it was the fact that she had shared a bed with Hermione. Everyone knew that the girl was testy in the morning if she didn't get her sleep.

"We don't want to cause any problems, we just want to talk." Ginny didn't get a chance to answer because Hermione stepped forward and laid a soft hand on her arm.

"It's fine, Gin, thank you. I'm sorry to have been such a pain last night." Ginny threw her arms around Hermione and hugged her close for several seconds before pulling away.

"If you're sure. If they're idiots again, come find me and you can sleep with me again." Hermione smiled her friend's way and watched as the redhead ambled away in search of Luna. She turned her attention back to Harry and Draco and Harry could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

"I know my things are still in the Room, but I'll remove them tonight." Harry hadn't been expecting to hear that. He stepped forward and tried to take Hermione's hand, but she pulled away slightly, frown marring her features.

"'Mi, we don't want you to come get your things, we want to apologize to you and tell you what fucking arseholes we were. We didn't mean any of things that were said, we were upset because you didn't like the date we had set up for you." Hope flared in her eyes, but Harry could see that she tamped it back down.

"How am I supposed to trust that when I don't know what to believe anymore." Draco stepped forward and took her hand, beseeching her with his grey eyes that Hermione loved so much.

"Believe us now when we say that none of what was said on our part is true. While the bossiness and nagging get old sometimes, it also shows us that you care enough about us to want what's best for us. We don't want to be without you, you've become our world." Harry could see that she was starting to waver, so he continued.

"We want you to continue being just how you are, we can't imagine life without you. Just last night without you was dreadful." She looked down at her feet and Harry knew that she was going to capitulate. Even though he felt guilty for feeling triumphant since he knew that he deserved even worse for hurting her like he did, he couldn't help it. Hermione blew a breath loudly out of her mouth before raising her head to meet their eyes.

"I'm sorry too. I overreacted about the gift and I didn't handle it well. I should have done better. I didn't mean to say that it was a fake token of love, I swear I didn't. I know you both love me but sometimes I wonder if we aren't too volatile for each other." Draco stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her softly, almost as if he was scared that she would run away.

"We're all very opinionated and very strong in magic. It's bound to be volatile but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be together. We just have to learn how to work through our arguments and differences." Hermione snuggled into the blonde's shoulder and wrapped her hands around his upper arms. Harry stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, laying his chin on her shoulder. Harry couldn't hold back a chuckle when she spoke.

"You both forgive me?" Draco kissed the top of her head and Harry kissed the side before Draco answered for them.

"There is nothing to forgive. You didn't know that we would take your comment so seriously. The question is do you forgive us?" Harry watched as Hermione nuzzled Draco's chest and breathed in deeply, taking in his scent.

"I forgive you but it's going to take a little while to trust that you're telling me the truth." Harry nipped her throat softly.

"That's all we ask for, the chance to do so."

The trio stood there in each other's embrace for another minute or so before Harry pulled away and tugged Hermione away from Draco. He started to pull the other two down the corridor.

"We need to eat breakfast. We're meeting Dumbledore and Professor Snape right after." Hermione nodded and allowed herself to be pulled along. They were a few corridors away from the Great Hall when Draco spoke.

"What happened in Hogsmeade? We only know what Weasley is telling everyone." Hermione sighed next to him and launched into a long story about what was said between herself and Ron and Lavender. Both boys listened carefully as she detailed just what had occurred between the three Gryffindors. They had just taken their seats in the Great Hall, everyone watching them carefully, when she began telling them what had happened during her detention and how disappointed her father was in her.

Harry could tell how much Snape's words got to her, especially since her muggle parents had never told her that they were disappointed in her. He wasn't sure if their professor knew how much he had hurt her when he told her that he wasn't her father in the moment that he was angry, but he supposed that Snape would eventually figure it out.

Harry spooned up her usual breakfast before he spooned up his own, Hermione shaking her head at him with a small smirk on her face. The three ate quickly since they were due in the Headmaster's office in just thirty minutes. The rest of their table watched them carefully, mostly wanting to know if they had really broken up or if Ron Weasley was just full of complete shite. Harry didn't let the stares bother him.

They finished breakfast quickly, none of them willing to be late to Dumbledore's office. As they traversed the corridors, Harry couldn't help but worry about what was going to happen today. He supposed that only time would tell.

-O-

Hermione was unsure if she had done the right thing in forgiving her boys, but it was done now. Being honest with herself, she didn't want to be away from them. She wouldn't stand for disrespect, but it had been made clear that she didn't do so well when they were fighting. While she didn't have nightmares, she had tossed and turned all night long, keeping Ginny awake in the process. Hermione had apologized profusely but Ginny had simply waved her off telling her that it was completely understandable if she had been sleeping with both her boys for months now.

They had been more than supportive about her feelings regarding her father and for that she appreciated them more. She knew that her father was justified in his anger, but she wished that he could have been a little bit understanding. Things being what they were, she was going to do her best to help as much as she could today in hopes that she could make him proud again.

Hermione watched the griffin jump out of the way from guarding the Headmaster's office. Draco had her hand in his and started to pull her up the stairs when a familiar voice from behind them stopped her.

"Miss Granger, may I have a word?" Professor McGonagall was behind them and for the first time in her life, Hermione thought that the professor might be nervous. She allowed her professor to lead her to the far side of the corridor, so she could speak freely. She was sure that her boys could still hear their words, but she didn't care. Her professor turned to meet her gaze once they were far enough away from Harry and Draco.

"I want to apologize to you, Miss Granger. I should have investigated the situation further before I just assumed the worst of you. I should have known that you wouldn't resort to violence without a very good reason." Her professor heaved a sigh before she continued.

"I didn't realize the level of bullying that Miss Brown participated it. I should have done something about it when I knew it was occurring, but I didn't and that is my failure. You can't know how sorry I am that I didn't handle this situation before now." Hermione reached out and laid a soft hand on her professor's arm as she smiled at the older woman. While she had been angry the night before, now she could see that her professor was truly remorseful. If she could forgive her boys, she could forgive her professor.

"I understand, Professor. I've always respected you and while I was quite angry last night, it has faded. I forgive you." Her professor gave her a full-fledged smile.

"I wanted to let you know that I returned to Miss Brown and gave her two detentions with your father to be served after this little adventure that you're going to be going on today. One for bullying a fellow student and one for lying about it." Hermione didn't think that her words would have affected her professor as much as they had. She stepped forward and hugged McGonagall, keeping it light enough to not make the witch uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Professor. That means a lot to me. I hate to break this up, but I have to meet my father and Dumbledore for a meeting about five minutes ago." McGonagall's eyes flashed in anger, but she said nothing. She nodded for Hermione to continue her plan, but the Gryffindor couldn't help but wonder if McGonagall had somehow discovered their secret.

Her Head of House disappeared around the bend and Hermione allowed both of her boys to pull her up the staircase to the Headmaster's office. Her father was there waiting impatiently, though he seemed to be taking his bad temper out on the Headmaster. Dumbledore spoke, telling them all that he was most certainly the one in charge.

"I see that you were stopped outside my office by my Deputy. I hope all is well." Hermione gave him a perfunctory smile before she nodded.

"She simply wanted to apologize for a misunderstanding. I'm ready when you are." Hermione hadn't expected the Headmaster to grin at her when she gave her perfunctory explanation. Rather than continue questioning her, he held out two objects.

"These two objects are portkeys that will take us to the last known home of the Gaunt's, Tom's last relatives. I have no idea what to expect once we get there but I am quite sure that it will be dangerous, and we will all have to help each other. I want to bring the Sword of Gryffindor just in case there is a chance to destroy it on site. The less dark magic we bring into Hogwarts, the better." Hermione gave a nod that she understood, catching the same movement from her mate's as well. Her father still looked pissed as fuck, but she supposed that she couldn't blame him. He wanted nothing more than to keep herself and her mates safe and alive and this was throwing a wrench in that plan. Harry spoke as Dumbledore handed the three of them their portkey.

"Is there anything that you do know about the place we're going?" Dumbledore appeared to be contemplative, but Hermione was certain that it was for the show. He was as clueless as the rest of them but didn't want to appear that way.

"The last people to live in this house were Tom's grandfather and uncle. Neither were good men. Expect everything because we aren't entirely sure what to expect." Hermione took a deep breath and removed her robes, leaving them draped across the couch before the fire. Her boys followed suit, seeing that her theory was sound. It would be much easier to fight foes if they weren't caught up in robes.

Severus didn't look to be following their lead and Hermione couldn't even imagine the Headmaster without his sky-blue robes. Therefore, this only left the task of grasping the portkey and making sure that she had a tight hold, so she wouldn't lose grip mid-transportation. Hermione heaved a deep sigh, put the worst in the front of her mind, and let the portkey pull her across the country.

The familiar jerking behind her navel alerted her that she was engaged in an active portkey. She could feel Harry and Draco's fingers next to hers although they both seemed to be much more relaxed at this mode of transportation that she was. When they landed, Harry reached out a quick hand and caught her round the waist fast enough to keep her from landing on her arse. Hermione sighed angrily. Portkey travel would remain her least favorite way of traveling.

Her father and Dumbledore appeared next to them and they both landed gracefully which only made Hermione scowl more. How could she be one of the most powerful women in their world and not be able to stick the landing of a portkey? The Gryffindor was pulled from her thoughts by Dumbledore speaking.

"That little house off in the distance is where the Gaunts resided. Though I don't think that we will find anything too obvious on the outside of the house, we shouldn't let our guard down. Doing that could mean certain death." The Headmaster paused for effect before continuing.

"We aren't certain just what kind of protections the Dark Lord has installed here so let Severus and I focus on keeping the 'protections' busy. You three are tasked with finding the horcrux and destroying it if possible. Like I said, it would be best if we destroyed it before returning to school but if we have to just leave with it we will." Hermione nodded her agreement even though she felt that the Headmaster was being fucking stupid. She, Harry, and Draco were obviously far more powerful than her father and Dumbledore so to her it made more sense for them to do the protecting and the two elders to find and destroy the horcrux. She really hoped that it was a misguided sense of wanting to keep them safe that kept the Headmaster from suggesting that they find the horcrux.

They approached the shack slowly, making sure that there was nobody around and that there were no wards to be found around the property. Dumbledore had felt sure that there wouldn't be, but Hermione wasn't sure of anything when it came to her grandfather. She had to admit that she was wrong, however, when they reached the front door and hadn't come upon a single ward. When the door unlocked with only a simple unlocking spell, Hermione realized that her grandfather was trying to make the home look as though it wasn't anything special.

The sunlight poured through the windows and though it was the middle of February, Hermione was starting to warm standing in the bright rays. Fighting the drowsy feeling that wanted to pull her under once she was warm, Hermione forced her hand to raise her wand and scan her surroundings. She was a little surprised at what she found.

The shack had obviously been abandoned years ago, perhaps even decades. There was a thick layer of dust that covered every surface of the room and Hermione couldn't help but find it just a little sad that they had allowed the home to become so run-down. Hermione took a step forward while her father cast the "homenum revelio".

When the spell found nothing, Hermione wondered if her grandfather had simply told Lucius that he was sending extra protection just to be careful regarding those that knew of the shack's presence. There was obviously nobody else there, but she supposed that that didn't mean that there wasn't any danger. Her father stepped forward in front of her and shot her a warning glance, clearly telling her that she was to stay back unless she was needed.

The five of them searched the living room of the shack to no avail. Hermione couldn't help but admit that she was saddened by the fact that it wasn't going to be as easy as she had hoped, but she supposed that that was just life. Everything was great until the moment that Harry stepped into what appeared to be the kitchen. Her wand had been down at her side, the same as her father and the Headmaster. The second Harry's foot landed on the kitchen floor, an inhuman screech sounded from behind them and Hermione knew that they were fucked.

That screech couldn't belong to anything aside from a manticore.

The beasts were deadly with a human face, lions body, and tail of a scorpion, wings and small horns thrown in to make the situation complete. Ordinary magic didn't usually harm them, only physical strength and brutality was known to bring them down. Both her father and Dumbledore stepped forward to fight the beast, waving the three of them off to continue the search. While Hermione hated being waved on to leave her father, she understood that they needed to accomplish their goal.

Hermione turned in time to see Draco step foot in the kitchen. As soon as his foot stopped on the floor there was another inhuman scream through the air. She turned in dread to see that a minotaur had now entered the rickety living room of the shack with its bull head, horns blazing in front of her sharp and scary. Hermione knew that she wasn't going to be able to enter the kitchen without another unbeatable creature entering the fray. She turned to Harry and Draco and waved them on, thankful that the pair of them had the Sword of Gryffindor with them. Hermione just barely caught the sheer terror on her father's face as she turned to face the minotaur.

There were several legends about the minotaur and none of them involved beating the beast with magic. It was usually sheer power and physical perfection that won out against the savage beast. While Hermione knew that she was far from athletic, she would do everything in her power to make sure that they all went home unharmed.

Her father and the Headmaster were already engaged in a fight with the manticore and Hermione could admit that she wasn't jealous. Not many people could say that they had bested a manticore, so it made her nervous thinking about it. She couldn't ruminate long since the minotaur charged forward, intent on goring her. Hermione dodged and shot spells from her hand, pocketing her wand so it wouldn't end up broken in the fray, hoping to confuse it even though she was well-aware that she couldn't kill it with magic.

Hermione began an intricate dance with the minotaur, dodging its charges and shooting spells its way, mostly to buy Harry and Draco time in finding and destroying the horcrux. It was quite clear now that there was something hidden here since there were who knew who many dangerous beasts on site.

Hermione had just spun around after evading a particularly quick advance of the minotaur when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Dumbledore going down by means of the scorpion tail. Hermione realized that her father was now alone as he faced the manticore. The Gryffindor did her best to get to her father's side, so she could help him but, in the end, it wasn't needed.

Hermione watched as her father turned and transfigured his wand into a jagged dagger and side-stepped the manticore at the last second, thrusting the dagger into the neck of the beast. In a split second, the tail of the manticore came forward and ran her father through, right in the soft part of his shoulder. She began fighting mercilessly to his side, hoping that she could stem the bleeding and save him.

While the manticore bled out before her, Hermione knelt at her father's side, so she could put pressure on his shoulder. Deciding that it hadn't hit anything major, Hermione sighed in relief. She turned just in time to see the minotaur charge her way. The Gryffindor shot spell after spell at the beast, but nothing seemed to phase it. It was still rushing towards them and Hermione knew that there was no other way to save her father. She followed his lead she pulled out her wand and willed it to become a sharp dagger.

In a move that was surely reminiscent of the founder of her House, Hermione spun and jammed the tip of her dagger through the chin of the minotaur, blood spilling down her hand and up her sleeves. In the last fleeting movements of the beast, it reared its head and Hermione wasn't anticipating it. One of the horns on the minotaur's head caught her in the abdomen as it flung its head one last time. Intense pain radiated from the spot in her abdomen that had a minotaur horn buried in it but there was nothing that she could do about it. She could feel the beast's hot breath on her leg as it breathed its last breath, something that Hermione was not sad about.

Hermione was uncomfortable with the horn buried deep in her guts, so she moved herself off the horn as her father was scrambling to her side. She was trying to appear every bit of the warrior, but it was hard to ignore the crippling pain from her gore wound. Hermione placed a hand over her belly and watched her father scramble to her side.

"Hermione, Jesus fucking Christ, buggering Merlin, and sweet Nimue, are you alright?" Hermione grimaced when she felt the gush of blood over her hand but gave her father a weak smile anyways.

"Never better." Her father snorted before his face turned serious.

"We have to get you back, you could die from these wounds." Hermione knew that he was speaking the truth, her eyes were getting hazy and she was becoming lightheaded from the loss of blood. Her father scooted close to her and laid a hand on her belly trying to stem the flow of blood. He gazed down at her, expression serious.

"Why would you endanger yourself like that for me?" Hermione squeezed his hand with her slippery fingers, realizing belatedly that they were slippery with her blood.

"It was going to kill you and I couldn't stand for that. I wanted you to be proud of me again."

-O-

Draco knew that they were fucked the second that he set foot in the kitchen. A fucking manticore had appeared when Harry entered, and a gods-be-damned minotaur had shown up when he had. As much as he hated to leave his girlfriend and godfather to fight the beasts, he knew that he and Harry needed to find the horcrux, so this fight wouldn't be in vain.

Draco was quick to drag Harry off further into the house, trusting that the three left in the living room would keep each other safe. He spun Harry around to face him, so he could place his hands on the shoulders of his very best friend.

"You have to look for it. You felt the cup, use your senses to find this one. We need to get out there and help them as soon as possible." Harry nodded, clearly stressed about being put on the spot but not unwilling to try. He closed his eyes and Draco watched as he went into this own mind and did his best to locate the evil artifact. After several minutes that were filled with inhuman screams and shouts from the human counterparts, Harry opened his eyes.

"It's over here." He started for one of the cupboards on the floor and quickly dropped to his knees, slamming the door to the cupboard open without any further ado. It slammed against the cabinet next to it and Draco watched as his best friend rummaged around in the filth until he pulled a metal box out of the depths of the cabinet. Draco could feel the evil seeping out of the locked box.

Harry drew the Sword of Gryffindor after setting the box on the floor. He raised the Sword and let it fall on the box near the lock. Since it was a magical artifact, the box fell into several pieces revealing an ancient looking ring.

"That's it, I can tell." Harry's voice was certain, and Draco urged him to draw the Sword on the horcrux. Draco laid his hand on Harry's wrist, knowing that he needed to warn him.

"It's going to fight you, you have to be ready to strike at it anyways." Harry gave a resolute nod and Draco envied the level of bravery that his friend possessed. The Sorting Hat may have tried to place him in the snakes, but the lions house was where he truly belonged. Harry raised the Sword and focused on the ring, neither of them stupid enough to answer the call that seemed to be emanating through the room to put the ring on. Harry brought the Sword down on the jewelry and the ring let out an inhuman scream. The familiar black goo oozed out of the ring and started to speak.

"You will never be worthy of her love, she always chooses young Draco before you. You won't be able to defeat me, and you will always be known as the Boy-Who-Died. The world is going to pay for your failure. My granddaughter is playing a game with you and she will break your heart." Draco wanted to help his best friend, tell him that none of that rubbish was true, but Harry was doing better than all the others had done when they faced a horcrux. Draco had just opened his mouth to speak when they heard a human scream that sounded a lot like Hermione and then the dying wail of whatever it was that she had been fighting. Draco turned his attention back to Harry and motioned for him to finish it.

His friend didn't waste any time. He didn't even seem all too bothered by what the horcrux had said to him. The Gryffindor simply brought the Sword down once more on the ring and it cracked in half as it screamed out in pain. Neither boy waited for the inhuman screams of the horcrux to die before Harry bent and scooped it up to dump it in his pocket.

Both boys rushed into the living room to find that their girlfriend was on the floor in the arms of her father, bleeding from what appeared to be a gore wound in her abdomen. There was blood everywhere and Draco was unsure if the blood was from Hermione or from the wound on Severus' shoulder. Harry turned to find the Headmaster weakly getting to his feet, his legs unsteady with a hand to his head. Draco was instantly furious that they had been unable to keep Hermione safe but there was nothing for it now. Draco took charge since it seemed like nobody else was going to.

"Harry, turn the portkeys from before into portkeys again. You tap your wand on them and say 'Portus'. You're going to take the Headmaster back to the school and I'm going to take Severus and Hermione." Harry did as he was bid even though creating a port key was a seventh-year spell. Draco stepped forward and motioned for his godfather to grasp hold of the portkey while Draco stooped to scoop Hermione into his arms. The amount of blood made his system want to rebel, but he was determined to get them back to Madam Pomfrey before he threw up. He could only hope that his legs would hold up once they landed.

Draco watched Harry and the Headmaster disappear and he hoped that it took them straight to the Hospital Wing. He had never created a portkey before and though he understood the concept, he was hoping that they wouldn't appear in front of a bunch of Slytherins that would ask questions. Draco felt the spell take hold and they spun away.

When they landed, Draco realized that his portkey hadn't taken him where he had wanted it to go. While he had been aiming for the Hospital Wing, they landed in the corridor outside of the Hospital Wing. They hadn't been there for more than a minute gathering their bearings and getting their energy up to make their way into the Hospital Wing. Out of nowhere, Professor McGonagall appeared and began screeching.

"What the bloody fuck happened? Merlin's sake alive, they need to be in the Hospital Wing." He watched as his Transfiguration professor levitated the Headmaster up off the floor and floated him into the Hospital Wing. Draco carried Hermione the old-fashioned way, determined to feel her soft warmth in his arms. Harry looked to be more than willing to levitate Severus but the dark-haired Slytherin gave the young Gryffindor a look of loathing and dragged himself to his feet, so he could make his way into the Hospital Wing of his own accord.

-O-

Hermione couldn't remember hurting this much in a very long time, if ever. Her hands were slick with blood, turning sticky now that she had let it dry a little. The pain was immense but there was nothing that she could do about it until she saw Madam Pomfrey. While she was able to heal minor injuries on herself, she needed others for the major ones.

She was aware that Draco laid her on one of the beds and she could see Professor McGonagall pacing in the background. Her father was sitting up in the bed next to her, his worried eye catching hers as her whole body hitched in pain once more. Dumbledore was unconscious again across the way and Hermione wasn't sure just what had caused it. Madam Pomfrey's wand was sucking the blood away from her wound but it certainly didn't feel good.

"I can't heal a wound of this magnitude, I'm a school nurse. We need to transport her to St. Mungo's before she dies." Hermione felt her breath catch at the mediwitch's words. Harry stepped forward and held his hand out to Draco.

"If Madam Pomfrey can't heal her, we'll have to do it ourselves." Hermione was unsure that they could heal this level of injury on their own. Before, the injury hadn't been near as great since the potions her father had been feeding her had been beneficial in every way. She remained silent though, determined to let her boys try things as they liked. Professor McGonagall stepped forward and held her hands up.

"No, we're taking her to St. Mungo's. She's been gored by who knows what and she needs care." Harry held his hand up to their professor and calmed her as best he could.

"Professor, trust me, Draco and I can heal her. If we can't, we'll take her immediately." The Deputy Headmistress finally gave a nod and Harry and Draco stepped forward. They laid their hands on her belly, threading their fingers together over her wound.

The boys concentrated for several minutes, pouring every ounce of magic into healing their girlfriend. There were small gasps around them and she took that to be a good sign. When they finally sighed and stepped away from Hermione, she felt a thousand times better. The wound was closed and had stopped bleeding though it appeared to be knottier than she would have expected. Draco turned to Madam Pomfrey and grinned.

"I think she could benefit from your expertise in preventing scars." While Draco was proud of the fact that he had indeed cured Hermione's bleeding wound, he had done nothing for the scars left behind. The mediwitch stepped forward as everyone else watched from the sidelines almost as if they didn't want to admit that Hermione was much better. Madam Pomfrey stepped forward and Hermione gritted her teeth as the mediwitch's wand glazed over her. Not because the mediwitch was checking her over but because there were others out there that seemed to disbelieve her healing wholeheartedly. The mediwitch turned to McGonagall, probably because the witch wasn't quite sure what else to do. Harry finally stepped forward and spoke.

"She's great, Madam Pomfrey. Just fix her scars and you can take full responsibility for her healing." Even though Hermione was sure that that wasn't the motivating factor, the Deputy Headmistress decided to speak.

"I want to know what the fuck is going on and I mean now.' Her father snorted next to her and met her gaze. Draco took over and snorted his answer.

"Harry and I healed her. What else is there to say?" Professor McGonagall glared at him, but she turned her attention to Hermione.

"They'll give me the runaround. I want you to tell me what's going on, Miss Granger." Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I promise we'll tell you tomorrow. Right at this moment, I'm not feeling up to the long and completely insane conversation that would be involved in telling you." Her Head of House looked like she wanted to protest but thought better of it at the end. She nodded her assent and Hermione was just about to thank her when Harry spoke.

"We're telling Sirius and Remus too. I think a few others wouldn't go amiss. When this finally comes to an end, Hermione, Draco, Professor Snape, and I are going to look like we're evil. I want as many people as possible to know exactly what's going on so none of us end up in Azkaban." While Hermione had been sure that Dumbledore had been unconscious before, he wasn't now.

"We aren't going to tell a single person. When the end plays out, everyone will know that none of you are evil. We can not jeopardize the secret." Hermione couldn't help the fury that flared up within her. She picked up one of Madam Pomfrey's trays and hurtled it across the room towards the Headmaster. It hit a mere foot away from his face and Hermione could tell that she was breathing hard in her fury.

"We are going to tell Sirius, Remus, Arthur, Professor McGonagall, and Moody what is happening or I'm going to tell the world how many people you had to bribe for the Headmaster position at this school. I'm sure that once your secrets are spilled, nobody is going to want you teaching their children a thing." Hermione could see the reaction that her Head of House was having at her words, but she didn't care. McGonagall needed to know the truth. She deserved the truth. Dumbledore was silent for almost a minute before he spoke again.

"Very well. When this blows up in your face and someone leaks the information, the thousands of deaths that will follow will be on your hands, Miss Granger." Hermione snorted before she spoke. Just as she opened her mouth, her father spoke for the first time.

"Even if someone leaks the information, the blame of thousands of deaths will lie on the shoulders of my father, not my daughters. Keep a civil tongue in your head or you'll lose your spy for good." Professor McGonagall couldn't believe the things that she was hearing, and Hermione didn't blame her. She had always been somewhat meek but the situations that she found herself in lately were changing that. Madam Pomfrey took that moment to reappear with a vial in her hand and Hermione realized that she hadn't even noticed that the mediwitch had disappeared.

"Here's your potion, Miss Granger. I can't guarantee that it will rid you of the scar completely, but it will most certainly lessen it." Hermione didn't question the witch, just threw back the potion like it was a shot of her father's fire whiskey.

Harry and Draco were still on either side of her, their hands still bloody from where they had had to touch her wound to heal her. Her father was now being tended in the bed next to her and Hermione was happy to hear that the stinger of the scorpion hadn't pierced anything vital. Her father had to take an anti-poison potion and get the wound healed before the mediwitch was sending him on his way. He refused to leave, however, once he heard that Hermione wasn't going to be released until the following morning. Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes, threw her hands in the air, and stalked off in the direction of her office.

The Headmaster had taken a sleeping draught after being healed for his scorpion sting. He was currently asleep across the way and Hermione was happy that she wouldn't have to listen to him for the rest of the evening. She hated using blackmail to get what she wanted, but since the man was so resistant to letting others help Hermione simply did what she had to do. Both of her boys remained at her side and didn't appear to be leaving any time soon.

"Boys, you need a shower. Go back to the Room and shower and get a good night's sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a trying day." Both had a mutinous look of their face. Harry was the first speak.

"We'll go shower but we're coming straight back here. We aren't leaving you." She contemplated their words and understood. She wouldn't have left them if they had been caught in the Hospital Wing for something that only she could help with.

"Alright, go shower and I'll see you when you get back." They both smiled at her words and left together, probably heading to the Room of Requirement, so they could both shower at the same time. Professor McGonagall stepped forward and gave her favorite student a fond look.

"I look forward to your explanation, Miss Granger. I can admit that while I don't usually have favorites, you have been one of them since the day you entered Hogwarts. I hope that someday you will take my position. I'm happy that you're not dead." Hermione smiled at her Head of House softly.

"Thank you, Professor. Maybe one day I'll make you proud enough to take your position. We'll see what life throws our way." Her professor gave her an abrupt nod and turned on her heel to flee the Hospital Wing. Hermione wondered if she was so overcome with emotion that she just didn't want witnesses as to how scared she had been. She had just settled back into her pillow when her father spoke from his bed.

"Don't you ever do something so monumentally stupid as stepping in front of a minotaur for me again. Merlin, you almost died! How am I supposed to handle that?" Hermione picked at the threads on her hospital-issued blankets, refusing to meet his eyes as he spoke.

"I couldn't let it kill you and that's exactly what it would have done." Her father was breathing hard and Hermione wouldn't be surprised if he started throwing things next.

"You told me that you did it to make me proud. Explain." It was clear that explaining wasn't a request but a demand. If Hermione hadn't felt quite so exhausted she would have put up more of a fight. Instead, she sighed.

"I have never been told by a parent that they were disappointed in me. My muggle parents always told me that they were proud of me whether it was because I hexed a girl in my school bald or telling them about all the trouble that I got into a Hogwarts. I didn't like how it made me feel to know that you weren't proud of me. I jumped in front of you because I didn't want you to die but I also wanted you to be proud of me again." Hermione couldn't bear to look at her father after her confession. She knew that he was Slytherin to the core and that meant that he never displayed his emotions unless he was in a safe environment. Hermione had just revealed her emotions in an environment where just about anybody could overhear. While it didn't bother her, she was quite certain that it would bother him.

The next thing she realized, her father was sitting on the bed next to her, drawing her pale form into his embrace. Once she was wrapped in his arms, her face buried in his chest, so she could inhale his comforting scent, he sighed.

"I should have listened to you last night, sweet. If you had been fighting for no good reason, I would have been extremely disappointed. You didn't though, and I should have given you the chance to explain. You stood up for what was right, and I couldn't be prouder of that. I was bullied as a child and the fact that you stood up for yourself, even though it was in a less than desirable way, makes me very proud. I should have listened to you and I shouldn't have told you that I wasn't your father in that moment. I'm your father first and foremost, long before I'm your professor. Can you please forgive me?"

Hermione snuggled further into his embrace and considered her father's words. They were exactly what she had hoped to hear when she had entered her detention. Though a part of her wanted to be vindictive and punish her father for the pain that he had caused her, she didn't lash out. Instead, she smiled and nodded into his chest.

"I forgive you. Just tell me that you're proud of me even if you aren't." Her father chuckled above her and bent further to speak into her ear.

"I've never been more proud of you, daughter." Hermione couldn't hold back the contented sigh.

The pair stayed in each other's arms until her boys returned from their showers. They looked cleaner and smelled much better, so Hermione was happy to invite them into her bed once her father had gone back to his own. Hermione was sprawled across Harry's chest while Draco toyed with her curls behind her when the thought occurred to her.

"Did you find the horcrux?" Draco snorted.

"Yes, we found it and Harry destroyed it while you were being gored by a minotaur." Hermione heard her father snort as well, but she didn't give him the chance to speak.

"Tell me everything." Harry shook his head.

"Tomorrow. I'll tell you everything tomorrow. Tonight, needs to be more focused on healing." Hermione wanted to argue but found that her mate was right. Their relationship had gone through the ringer lately and they all needed time to trust one another again. Hermione nodded because that was all there was left to do.

Madam Pomfrey appeared out of nowhere and handed Hermione a vial that contained Dreamless Sleep, a potion that she usually avoided like the plague because of it's addictive tendencies. She tried to protest but both her boys and her father told her that she was going to take it whether it was done willingly or by them holding her down and forcing it down her throat. She finally agreed to take it of her own accord.

After the potion had been taken, Hermione settled into her bed and allowed her boys to take their spots on either side of her. There wasn't time for a conversation before the draught kicked in and took Hermione under the guise of sleep without a moment's hesitation.

A/N- Alrighty folks, I just finished this chapter after returned from Waynoka, OK. I love their sand dunes and if there are any native Oklahomans reading this story, hats off to you folks. Your state parks are the bomb. I hope to get started on the next chapter soon. Let me know your thoughts, they make me happy.

Completely off subject, but I just finished an amazing fic on . It's also a triad story between Hermione, Harry, and Draco. It's deliciously dark and dirty and though the plot is a little slow, it's a great story. The author is petalsoft and the story is called What a Witch Wants.

Next up, revelations to the some of the Order.

Love,

Alicia


	35. Chapter 35

A/N- Most of you seemed to enjoy the last chapter which happily surprises me. I can't help but feel that I'm terrible at action scenes but you all keep urging me on. Thank you for that, I appreciate it more than I can say. To everyone out there that is still favoriting and following, thank you. To those out there that review every single chapter, you're the reason that this story continues. Your reviews keep me going and I love it. I'm going to end this now and get on with the chapter, though I don't see it being as long as my usual chapters. We shall see!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this story except for my personal twist on the plot. Every trope of this story has been done numerous times before, probably much better too. I haven't made any money from my stories and everything original in this story belongs to J.K.R.

Chapter 35

February 16, 1996

Albus waited impatiently for Poppy to make her way to his side so she could release him. She had fed him potion after potion the day before making sure that he wouldn't die before the poison from the stinger of the scorpion could kill him. He understood that he had come close to death but that didn't make him feel better. He was Albus Dumbledore and the world thought that he was infallible. The fact that he had been taken down by a manticore when Severus Snape had not was embarrassing.

Albus knew that he was losing control of the war effort. Hermione was clearly the one in charge and everyone had made it completely clear that they would back her. Severus, Harry, Mr. Malfoy, and Albus even suspected the elder Mr. Malfoy. He cursed the fact that he couldn't keep the little bitch out his mind. Her powers were clearly superior to his own and that was a new feeling for him. The fact that she knew every single secret that he had ever hidden made him want to damage something, to cause something pain. This wasn't a normal feeling for Albus and it scared him to death.

He was a light wizard, everyone knew that. He had dabbled in his youth but when he saw what the outcome was for his young lover, he had quickly abandoned the darkness for favor of the light. He was scared to death that Hermione was going to do the opposite and abandon the light for the dark. He could already see so many traits in her that would easily turn dark; it was the love in her heart that kept her on their side, nothing more. While Albus didn't completely believe in fate, he did believe in genetics. According to that belief, Hermione and Severus both had the inclination to dark magic and it wouldn't take much to turn them.

It was this fact that kept Albus from telling them both to piss off. It had been much better when Hermione hadn't been aware of who she was, and Severus had been blissfully ignorant as to the whereabouts of his daughter. Since they had discovered the truth, Albus had done nothing but lose face and lose his power over them.

It wasn't as if he was power hungry. He would have been welcomed to run as the Minister of Magic. He most likely would have won since he appeared to be the quintessential grandfather to everyone. He hadn't wanted that. He had wanted to shape young children to follow his footsteps, to fight the evil in the world. While he knew it was wrong, he couldn't help but revel in the fact that most of the house of Gryffindor followed him blindly, never asking questions.

Until Hermione fucking Riddle.

While his first inclination was to bribe the girl, he knew that it would never work. Her moral compass was entirely too straight to consider things that he would offer, that was why she didn't want to join her grandfather. This left him with no other options but to go along with what she wanted. If he didn't she would tell everyone just what he had done in his life and that was the last thing that he wanted. Madam Pomfrey finally approached, a final potion clutched between her fingers.

"Here's a pepper-up potion. I've given it to all of you since I have the feeling that this going to be a long day." Albus wanted to tell her that she had no idea, but he didn't. He knew that Hermione Riddle was going to tell everyone everything and that meant that there would be many judgy looks from all his peers, especially the ones that were planted firmly on the side of the light. He felt that he still belonged on the side of the light, but it was true that he was tarnished.

The Headmaster drank the potion down and watched his counterparts. Hermione, Harry, and Mr. Malfoy seemed to instantly gain energy, talking loudly of the upcoming meeting. Severus perked up as well but didn't seem near as energetic. Albus could only hope that the dark-haired man kept his cool as Albus was. While Albus knew that Hermione was by far the most powerful of them all, her loyalty was to Severus and she would follow his lead. If he left the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione, Harry, and Draco would follow without a doubt.

Madam Pomfrey finally announced loudly that they were all free to go. Dumbledore was still surprised that Hermione was being sent on her way when she had been so close to death the night before. Albus knew that they had all assumed that he was unconscious but that couldn't have been further from the truth. He had simply been hoping that they would say something incriminating while they thought that he was asleep. He needed to turn the tables on the young Miss Riddle and he knew that wasn't going to happen unless he had information to blackmail her with as well.

He had heard nothing of consequence, however. All that had happened was since he was unavailable, Minerva had turned to Hermione and demanded answers. The stupid girl had promised them and when he had told her that that wasn't happening, she had added even more people to the list of people that were going to know the truth about what they were doing. Albus was certain that he would have several people angry with him by the end of the meeting. He was just going to have to convince everyone that his actions were warranted and there was no other way.

He watched the trio leave the Hospital Wing, both boys had their arms wrapped tightly around Hermione's waist. Albus tried to keep the animosity and hatred off his face as he watched them but when he glanced Severus' way, he knew that he had failed. His ever-faithful spy narrowed his eyes at Albus and went to his feet, so he could stalk over to the bed that Albus was resting on. He wasn't surprised when the Slytherin threatened him.

"If anything happens to my daughter, I want you to know that she has given me copies of the memories where she invaded your mind. I haven't watched them but if something happens to her and it makes me think that it's your fault, I'll send them on to Kingsley. If he won't do anything about them, I'll have my pureblood contacts get angry. You know they would love for a reason to throw you in Azkaban." Albus tried to put his grandfatherly look on to soothe the man. How could he think that he would do something to the one person that would win them the war?

"Now, Severus, I would never do anything to your daughter. She's the only way we're going to win this war." His spy raised a single eyebrow at him as if he didn't believe him.

"That's not what your face says. You've been warned. If anything happens to her, I won't stop until you're in prison. If anything happens to me, you know that she'll be the one that you answer to." Albus didn't even get a chance to speak again before the potion's master turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Albus could do nothing other than curse himself.

There was nothing he could now do about Severus or Hermione without landing himself in even more trouble. If he did anything to Hermione, Severus wouldn't stop until he was in Azkaban. If he did anything to Severus, Hermione would surely kill him. He didn't want to harm either one of them, he simply wanted to be in control again.

Albus sighed as he rose from his seat. This situation required much thought. It was clear that he couldn't do anything rash. He took his leave of the Hospital Wing and made his way through the corridors to his office. He knew that the members Hermione had requested would be there after breakfast, so he needed to prepare.

It was extremely embarrassing that he was supposed to be the greatest wizard alive and he had been the first to fall the night before. Granted, it wasn't a surprise for someone to fall to a manticore, but he hadn't liked being saved by the son of the Dark Lord. Albus hadn't even seen the stinger that caught him in the thigh. Being saved was embarrassing.

He finally reached his office and settled behind his chair, hands steepled underneath his chin. Poppy had told him that he needed to go to breakfast but his time would be better spent here thinking.

After all, it would take deep thought to get him out of the corner he was backed into. There was nothing that he could do about today, he had already accepted that, but he would have to consider his options for the future.

He would come up with something.

-O-

Severus stalked through the corridors, seething at what he had seen on the Headmaster's face. No, he was sure that he didn't want to hurt either one of them if he didn't have to but if he felt that it was necessary to come out on top, Severus had no doubts that Albus would harm his daughter. He had taken her from him once before and he could guarantee that it wouldn't happen again.

Severus really wanted to go to breakfast but he was in desperate need of a shower and clean clothes, especially if they were going to be meeting other Order members. Students gave him odd looks as they passed, and he could only assume that it was because his robes were covered in his daughter's blood. They shouldn't have been able to tell the difference since he wore black so maybe it was the general unkempt look about him.

Severus muttered his password when he reached his quarters, breezing through the door quickly. He was starving so he wanted to shower quickly. He usually didn't use magic to undress but today was a different story. He waved his wand at his clothing as he walked through his sitting room towards his bathroom. All the tiny buttons popped open and he shrugged out of his frock coat and robes, letting them drop to the floor in his room.

Once he was naked, Severus stepped into the shower, reveling in the hot water pouring over him. After lathering his hair and body, he inspected the wound left on his shoulder from the manticore. It was a perfect circle, no wider than half his finger length. He had taken the scar potion, so it had faded considerably but it was still there. He supposed that in the long run it didn't matter. His body was already covered in scars from his service to the Dark Lord.

Severus got out of the shower and waved his wand over himself, drying his hair and body. He usually wasn't so reliant on magic, but it helped when he was in a hurry. He dressed quickly in his usual clothing, trousers and shirt, teaching robes, and then a frock coat. Only fifteen minutes had passed by the time that he was ready to make his way to the Great Hall.

He left his quarters and hadn't made it down the corridor when the bane of his existence turned the corner, clearly coming to his quarters. The woman dressed in pink gave him a simpering smile as she reached out and tried to take his hand in hers.

"Severus, I was just coming to find you since you were late to breakfast. I thought that perhaps we could go together." Severus shuddered at the sight of her and jerked his hand out of her reach. He did his best to keep calm, if he showed emotion, the toad would use it against him.

"I'm a grown man, Madam Umbridge, I don't require an escort." The hag gave him a soft smile and stepped closer. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to move away but he refused to show weakness.

"I know you are, Severus, I just thought that you might want some company. I can be very accommodating." Severus fought the urge to vomit.

His taste in women had always leaned to the girl next door type. Lily had fit the description perfectly and even though Alexandra had been far more sophisticated and high-maintenance, she also had the sweet and innocent demeanor that he liked. Dolores Umbridge was the furthest thing from his type that he could think of.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, Madam Umbridge, this is a school. I refuse to flaunt any sort of affair in front of these students. They're hormonal enough as it is." He was expecting an argument, more sweet words to try and sway him to use her body. He was surprised by what happened next.

Dolores Umbridge rushed him. One hand tangled in his hair and jerked his head down to her level, the other hand fondled his cock roughly through his clothing. Her mouth attacked his, her lips dry against his, her tongue thrust in his mouth and stroking his. Her other hand was stroking his thick length and as much as he willed it not to, his traitorous appendage twitched and hardened.

For half a second, Severus considered fucking her like she wanted. It had been months since his last encounter with a woman. He ached for release but knew that he could never fuck Umbridge. It was true that the other Death Eaters would have been thrilled to have her so willing, but all Severus could see was the betrayal in his daughter's eyes if he did. This hag was hurting her friends. This brought all the blood from his cock rushing to his head and he was suddenly filled with righteous anger.

He knew that he needed to play the part of the Death Eater lest she tell the wrong person. Therefore, he felt no remorse when he reached up and tangled his hand in her hair, so he could jerk her away from him. Rather than scaring her away from him, she grinned and licked her lips. It was very clear that she was enjoying herself. Even though he didn't believe in violence against women, it was clear that he was going to have to do something drastic. He reared back his hand and slapped her as hard as he could across her cheekbone. He knew for a fact that it would bruise. Umbridge fell to the floor, dust covering her bright pink robes, clutching her hand over her face. Severus felt terrible when she looked up at him, fear in her eyes, and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. However, he had a part to play.

"Do not ever touch me again. If you think I'm going to fuck you, you are sorely mistaken. I already have an heir and if I want company it would be simple for me to find someone that was willing. From now on, you do not speak to me unless it is regarding my daughter and her performance in your class." The woman on the ground gave a meek nod so Severus straightened his robes, brushed his hair back, and stalked off toward the Great Hall, leaving her there on the floor.

Severus hurried to the Great Hall, eager to eat breakfast. He hadn't eaten since the day before at breakfast; there had been too much going on and once they were back in the Hospital Wing, he had been too wracked with anxiety about Hermione's condition that he couldn't have ate if he had wanted to. When he entered the Great Hall, he could see that his daughter and her two mates were present, all three of them eating heartily. Minerva was in her usual spot next to Albus' seat but the Headmaster was noticeably absent.

Severus took his seat and was thrilled when Septima Vector came in late and took the seat next to him. While the seats at the High Table weren't assigned, none of the professors switched their seats around. He glanced at the Arithmancy professor out of the corner of his eye and found her to be grinning at him.

"I thought that I'd help you out. Nobody has missed how much Umbridge wants in your pants." Severus glared at her, but she paid him no mind. In fact, she started laughing.

"Your glare may work on the students, but it doesn't work on me. I'm not scared of you, so you might as well just thank me for saving you from the dirty hag." Severus finally gave her a nod as he turned back to his meal.

"I thank you. She's getting out of control. I'm not sure what else to do outside of telling her to fuck off in front of everyone." Severus smiled inwardly. He had just taken care of his problem with Umbridge.

The pair talked amongst themselves about nothing important while they ate their meal. Severus noticed that Minerva wasn't eating much. He wasn't surprised really. She had always been a lioness when it came to her cubs and she most certainly considered at least Potter and Hermione her cubs. Possibly Draco now as well since he was spending so much time with the lions.

His eyes found his daughter and noticed that she had finished eating. She was waiting quietly on both the boys and Severus couldn't help but notice that she looked nervous. His mind returned to the night before when he had talked to Hermione about why she had thrown herself in front of a minotaur for him. He had been livid at the time, angry beyond words that she would endanger herself like that. Looking back, he was touched that she didn't want to lose him either despite his harsh treatment of her the night before.

He felt terrible about how he had treated her at detention. Severus should have listened to her explanation, but he had been too angry. He also hadn't realized that she had been bullied to the extent that she was either. He smiled to himself once more when he thought about Miss Brown spending two detentions with him in the next week; Severus was going to make her life a living hell for what she had done to his little girl.

Once he had eaten his fill, Severus gave a nod to Septima before he left the table. Minerva watched him leave and he knew that she would be following him in only a few minutes. His daughter and her two mates were already gone so he wasted no time in heading to the Headmaster's office. The griffin leapt out of the way and Severus was able to ascend the stairs that would lead him to his daughter and the Headmaster.

Severus didn't bother knocking at the door at the top of the stairs. Albus would know that he was there anyways. He walked in and found Hermione, Potter, and Draco on the couch, all three of them with solemn expressions on their faces. Moody and Kingsley were both in armchairs next to the fire while Arthur wandered around the office looking at all the useless trinkets that the Headmaster had decorated his office with. Black and the wolf were perched together on the love seat next to the couch talking quietly between themselves. Albus stood and began conjuring more seating before the fire. Severus took one half of the loveseat he created while Albus and Arthur took the arm chairs. The Headmaster was about to speak when there was a knock at the door. Minerva strolled through the door and wasted no time in taking the seat next to Severus. The Headmaster cleared his throat.

"I want you all to know that I don't agree with sharing this information. The more people that know about this, the greater the chance of the information being leaked. Hermione, however, feels differently and has called this meeting." Moody snorted.

"You do what students want now, Albus?" Severus really wanted to smirk at the Headmaster's discomfort, but he didn't. Albus gave a sharp nod.

"This one I do." Severus snorted now. It had nothing to do with who Hermione was and that was exactly how everyone was going to take his statement. Albus was giving her her way because he didn't want his secrets exposed to the world. Everyone's curiosity was piqued. Albus motioned towards Hermione.

"I feel that Miss Granger should do most of the explaining. This is her story after all." All eyes turned to Hermione and he could see that she was angry at the Headmaster for putting her on the spot. Harry laid an arm around her shoulders and Draco rubbed her thigh reassuringly.

"As you all know, my parents were killed this past summer. I tried to donate an organ to my mother to save her life, but I wasn't a match. They told me that I was adopted. My mother swore to me before she died that I wasn't. After I was brought to Grim Place, I decided to ask Professor Snape to brew me a paternity potion. He agreed." She took a deep breath before she continued.

"The results weren't what I was expecting. It listed my mother as Alexandra Nott and my father as Severus Snape." Hermione paused to let the surprised shouts quiet. Truthfully, though, Kingsley and Moody were the only ones present that didn't already know that. Moody finally quieted enough to question her.

"You're the missing Nott child?" Hermione nodded.

"I think the next part of this story needs to be told by my father." Severus mock-glared at his daughter which made her grin. Severus wanted to wink at her, make her laugh further, but he didn't dare. Not in present company. It was odd to realize that out of everyone present, he would have been the most comfortable showing affection to his daughter in front of Black and the wolf.

"We all know that I was a true Death Eater for a time before I turned spy. Voldemort ordered me to bed Alexandra and impregnate her with my child. I wasn't made privy to the reason behind it, at the time I was just excited to shag a beautiful witch. Hermione was conceived, and the Dark Lord was thrilled. He ordered the best care for Alexandra once she announced her pregnancy and insisted on the best care for Hermione once she was born." Severus hated this part.

"A month before Hermione was born, I realized that the Dark Lord was obsessed with my child. I went to Dumbledore and begged to switch sides, begged him to help me get out. I told him everything that I knew. I told him of Hermione's existence and that she would have to come with me. Albus wanted me to spy instead. I agreed for my daughter." He took a deep breath and just dove in.

"Hermione wasn't even a month old when Albus called me to him. He told me that he was going to have to take her. He wouldn't tell me why, but he swore to me that he would place her with a loving family. The next thing I knew, my daughter was gone, I was stuck as a spy, and the Dark Lord was livid." He made eye contact with his daughter and gestured for her to continue and Severus was grateful. He hated exposing his weakness in front of others but there was nothing that he could do about it. Hermione sighed again.

"I woke up in the Hospital Wing the next morning and realized that I had black hair and blue eyes. I was scared, unsure of what exactly had happened to me. My father and the Headmaster came in and told me the story you just heard. The Headmaster also informed us that there were two prophecies that applied to Harry and me. I'm sure that he could recite them for you better than I could." Everyone turned to look at the Headmaster and he looked uncomfortable. The wizened wizard stroked his beard before he began.

"You are all aware of the prophecy regarding Harry. It states that either he or Voldemort must die, and it must be at the hands of the other. The other prophecy was made in my presence as well, as well as Voldemort's. He was only a student then and the student that was serving with him at the time was a fledgling Seer. At the time, I wasn't aware of what Tom Riddle would become but once the war began the first time it was clear." Dumbledore cleared his throat before he began.

"The heir of the heir of the Dark Lord approaches. One with her power has not been seen in a century. Backed by her two true mates, her magic will either save the world from darkness or plunge it to depths that have never before been seen. Those who stand in her way or bring harm to her mates will surely perish. The darkness will answer to the heir of the heir and her children will bring forth greatness never imagined." Severus waited to see who would connect the dots since they hadn't told everyone that he was the Dark Lord's son. It was Moody that made the deduction first.

"Please tell me that you aren't the psychotic bastard's son." His tone was menacing but Severus didn't let it bother him.

"I wasn't aware until our little meeting with the Headmaster. Apparently, I had made the paternity potion in my school years and when the true results appeared, the Headmaster saw them. He cleared away the potion and altered my memories to make me believe that my stepfather was my real father." Moody was about to open his mouth and speak again but Kingsley beat him to it.

"Hermione is the granddaughter of the Dark Lord and has more power than anyone since the founders?" Severus nodded, and Moody couldn't keep quiet.

"Bullshit, she's a fifth year. There is no way that she is the strongest witch since the founders. I'm not saying the girl isn't smart, but I've seen her use magic. It isn't extraordinary." Hermione looked offended and Severus wanted to smirk. If the old auror didn't watch it, she would give him a show and he had a feeling that it wouldn't be pleasant.

"I suppose we forgot to mention that when the Headmaster placed me with the Grangers, he cast a glamour on me and bound my magic. When my magic reacted to Ronald attacking me, it broke through everything. I guarantee I have more power than you, Moody." It wasn't her words that were lacking respect, it was her tone. Everyone was silent since they rarely heard Hermione speak like that to her elders. Severus wanted to rub his hands together and grin. Moody had always hated him and did his best to make his life hell. Kingsley spoke again though.

"You bound her magic, Albus? You know that's illegal. It can land you in Azkaban." The Headmaster nodded.

"I'm aware. I also did what I had to do. If she had shown her true level of power, it would have alerted the Dark Lord to her identity. The fact that he knows now isn't ideal but we're doing what we have to." Sirius and Remus were surprisingly silent while Minerva seemed to be processing their words. Moody spoke again.

"I should have known you would be related to that bastard, you always liked your role as spy far too much." Severus had lost track of how many times Moody had attacked him through the years. He was surprised, however, when the auror was thrown back against the seat of his chair and was struggling to catch his breath. His hands were clawing at his throat but there was nothing there choking him. Severus turned his gaze to his daughter and saw her face was clouded with fury. Kingsley was trying to help the man while the rest of them just watched in surprised silence. Severus decided to step in.

"Sweet, you don't have to. I've lost count of how many times Alastor has accused me of enjoying my time as a Death Eater. Let him go so we can continue. There are still many things to cover." Hermione glanced at him for a moment before she tilted her head to the side and released whatever spell she was using on the old auror. Severus knew she was the Dark Lord's granddaughter at the moment, not affable Hermione Granger.

"You will keep a civil tongue in your head or I will obliviate you and make sure that you are seen out of the school. Don't toy with me." The rest of the room was silent, and it was clear that they were surprised. Draco leaned over and kissed the side of her head while Harry pulled on one of her curls softly.

"Let's continue." Hermione took a deep breath and gestured for Severus to take over.

"Everyone could see that her glamour had lifted, and it was only going to be a matter of time before the Slytherins told their parents. Albus and I decided to tell the Dark Lord exactly who she was. To say that he was pleased would be an understatement. He demanded that I bring her before him." Hermione jumped in and saved him from speaking anymore.

"I went before him and refused to bow before him. He was amused. He offered me a place at his side and told me that he would put out an order for my two mates to remain unharmed." Hermione gestured to the two boys at her side. Hermione caught sight of the disbelieving looks from everyone involved. Sirius and Remus were whispering quietly next to him and Severus was happy he had already told the men all this. He didn't want to imagine the fight that would have broken out if they had been kept in the dark this long.

"Yes, I listened to him tell his followers that neither Harry or Draco were to be harmed. I made my point when I almost killed Thorfinn Rowle for saying that he would kill Harry." Minerva gasped but the others remained silent.

"My father began training us in occlumency since we would all three be required to go before my grandfather. The Headmaster told us that there were things that we needed to know and do before we could kill Voldemort. We trained for a couple months, mastering the skill quickly. I also picked up legilimency. The three of us went before the Dark Lord and his followers and he announced again that the boys weren't to be harmed. I agreed to his terms, joining his side in exchange for the safety of my mates. My power was further proven when Thoros Nott tried to curse me, but Draco stepped between the curse and myself. I was able to heal him, and I made sure that Nott will never cross me again." It was Minerva that spoke.

"Did you kill him?" Hermione gave her professor a soft smile.

"No, he just wished that he was dead. It was Bellatrix that I killed." Everyone but Sirius and Remus began talking loudly. Albus held his hands up and tried to quiet them. It took several minutes before they finally quieted enough for Albus to motion for Hermione to continue.

"Draco was to come to Grim Place the day after Christmas. The Death Eaters were broken out of Azkaban on Christmas Day and were promptly told who I was and that there was a no touch order on myself, Harry, and Draco. Bellatrix sneaked into Draco's room that night and tortured him all night long. She whipped him, used the Cruciatus on him, cut him open, many unspeakable things. I knew that something was wrong, so I went with my father to retrieve him. I found her torturing him. I won't go into details, but she suffered greatly before she died. Nobody touches my mates." Severus could see that the conversation was affecting his daughter, so he took over.

"I was fighting Dolohov and both Lestranges at the time that she was with Bellatrix. Dolohov made it through me and sent a curse towards Draco. Hermione stepped in front of him and took the curse. The Dark Lord and Lucius appeared and immobilized the wizards while I brought Hermione and Draco back to Grim Place. Poppy did her best and I provided the potions that the Dark Lord said that she would need. We barely saved her. I went back and made an example of Dolohov." The room was silent, but Severus wasn't going to be the one to tell them about the horcruxes. After several minutes passing by without anyone speaking, Minerva broke the silence.

"I understand that the two of you did what you had to do, but how does this affect what I saw last night?" Severus was unsure if she referred to the injuries or the fact that Harry and Draco healed Hermione. He decided that he would explain the healing.

"When Draco was hit by Nott's curse, he and Hermione were able to heal Draco by joining their power and flooding him with their magic. The two boys did the same thing for Hermione when she was cursed by Dolohov. Hermione was able to heal them both by herself when the pair of them almost drowned with the Headmaster. They simply healed her last night like they had before." Hermione didn't give anyone a chance to question him before she jumped in the conversation.

"The three of us learned occlumency so the Headmaster could tell us how to kill my grandfather. He told us that Tom Riddle made horcruxes, six of them to be exact." The shocked looks on the faces of those in the room didn't make Severus want to smile. He remembered being just as horrified. Moody was the one that broke the silence.

"That's impossible. That's the darkest of magic and it would be near impossible to rip your soul that many times and not die." Hermione gave him a serious look.

"Believe it. We've already destroyed four of the six." Surprisingly, it was Arthur that spoke.

"That's how Harry and Draco were injured over the holidays." Hermione smiled his way and nodded.

"Yes. The first horcrux destroyed was the diary of Tom Riddle, the one that possessed Ginny her first year. The second was Slytherin's locket that the two boys went with Dumbledore to retrieve. They were attacked by inferi, forced to bring it home only to realize that it was a fake. Regulas Black had found the cave and stolen the real horcrux and gave it to Kreacher. He gave it to us and we destroyed it at Grim Place." His daughter heaved a sigh before continuing.

"Once we returned to school, Lucius came and retrieved us, so we could go to Gringotts. Draco was Bellatrix's heir and he had to take care of her vault. While we were there, we entered her vault and Harry alerted us to the fact that he could feel a horcrux in the vault. We took it without telling anyone and brought it back here to destroy. I should also tell you all that Lucius wants out and has been passing information to us when he can." Moody was much more respectful when he burst out in anger.

"You can't possibly believe him. He's trying to gain your favor, so he can spy on you. Please tell me you didn't tell him anything." Hermione looked affronted.

"Of course, I didn't tell him anything, I'm not fucking stupid. I also know that Lucius isn't stupid either. He's going to back the winning horse and at the moment, that's me. The prophecy speaks of how powerful my children will be. Lucius has always wanted power. Why would he try to kill me when his son will be the father to said children?" Nobody spoke so Hermione took that to mean that she should continue.

"Lucius is the one who passed the information that led us to the next horcrux. He heard the Dark Lord talking about protections sent to his old family home and contacted Severus. He knew that the Headmaster wouldn't believe the information because of where it came from so he lied to him. My father, Dumbledore, Harry, Draco, and I went to the house that belonged to the Gaunts." Hermione took a hand and raked it through her curls, clearly agitated.

"We entered the shack and didn't see anything. The second that Harry stepped into the kitchen, a manticore appeared and my father and the Headmaster were fighting it. Draco walked into the kitchen before me and the second he entered a minotaur appeared. There was no way that I could leave the pair of them to battle two beasts of that magnitude.

The pair of them continued to fight the manticore and once Dumbledore was stung, it was just my dad. He conjured a dagger and stabbed it in the throat but was stung in the shoulder. I went to him and when the minotaur started to charge I figured that his idea was the best there was. I transfigured my wand into a dagger and drove it up through the minotaur's chin and through his brain. He flung his head one last time and gored me in the abdomen." Kingsley didn't wait a second to speak.

"You transfigured your wand? How was the ministry not notified of underage magic?" Hermione smirked at the fact that she had just told them that she had killed a minotaur and been gored, and underage magic is what he was worried about.

"The Ministry can't track wandless magic." Kingsley's mouth dropped open.

"You transfigured your wand wandlessly?" Hermione openly laughed now.

"I fought the minotaur wandlessly. I'm very gifted at transfiguration." Both Moody and Kingsley looked at her in disbelief. With a wave of her hand, Hermione turned herself into a lioness, stretching out across both of her boys so they could rub her. Minerva started clapping, a wide smile on her face, pride shining in his eyes. After a minute, Hermione turned herself back into human body. Minerva finished clapping.

"Wonderful, Miss Granger, simply wonderful." Hermione gave her favorite professor a nod of thanks before turning to Kingsley.

"Doubt me now?" He rubbed a hand over his bald head as he spoke.

"That's amazing, Hermione. That isn't taught until seventh year and most students can't accomplish it." Hermione shrugged one of her shoulders.

"I've always been good at the subject, just better now that my magic isn't bound." Moody growled at the Headmaster.

"I can't believe you kept something of this magnitude from us. You shouldn't have been taking students with you to find horcruxes." Severus had been waiting for it but when it happened he was still surprised. Minerva jumped to her feet and launched herself at Albus. She only managed one hit, but the slap across his face rocked his head to the other side.

"How dare you put those three in danger? You should have told us all of this, so we could help you. I understand that Hermione has her own dangerous part to play in this war, as well as Mr. Potter, but you shouldn't increase the danger they're in, that makes you no different than Voldemort." Kingsley had stood, and his arms wrapped around Minerva's waist, pulling her away from the Headmaster. Severus couldn't help but be disappointed. Albus really did deserve it. Hermione had almost died because he was too stubborn to tell Minerva. Once she was wrestled back into her seat, panting and red-faced, Moody spoke.

"Do we know where the other horcruxes are?" Albus shook his head, a bright red handprint vivid on his cheek.

"I think that his pet snake is one of them, but we have no intel on the other." Hermione looked contemplative before she decided to speak.

"So far, his horcruxes have been items that mean something, not random everyday things. The first was his personal diary from his school days. The second was a locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin. The third was Hufflepuff's cup and the fourth was the Gaunt family ring. Since we have the Sword of Gryffindor, I would assume that the remaining horcrux would be an item that belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw." Minerva nodded excitedly.

"I agree, possibly her diadem?" Severus shook his head.

"It can't be, it's been lost through the ages." Hermione shook her head.

"Everyone thought that Hufflepuff's cup was lost as well. I think that Grandfather found it." Draco spoke for the first time.

"Where in the bloody hell could it be?" The room was silent for a time before Hermione spoke once more.

"Let's reason this out. The first horcrux was the diary and he left it in the possession of Lucius Malfoy. The Malfoy family represented everything that a young Tom Riddle wanted in the world. Power, wealth, prestige. Not to mention someone that idolized him at the time. The second horcrux was found in a cave off the coast. Dumbledore has told us that it was the site of his first muggle torture when he was only a child. That place would naturally be special to him. The third was in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts. Gringotts represents where every successful witch or wizard keeps their money. You aren't magical if you don't have a Gringotts vault. The fourth was found in the Gaunt family home, where his uncle, mother, and grandfather had resided. Another place that was important to him. I think we need to figure out another place that meant a lot to him and look there." Everyone appeared to be contemplating her words. Severus had to admit that it was sound logic but for the life of him he couldn't think of anywhere that would be special to his father. It was Potter that broke the silence.

"Voldemort was an orphan. Speaking as an orphan myself, I never felt like I belonged until I came to Hogwarts. Are you sure that there isn't one in the school?" Severus knew that he agreed with Potter the second he had said it. Hermione's eyes widened comically, and she hit herself in the forehead.

"Of course, it makes complete sense." Albus held his hands up and stalled them.

"I would feel the presence of the dark magic involved in making a horcrux. I've been here for decades and I've never felt anything like that." Hermione seemed truly stumped at his words. Sirius spoke this time.

"We'll just have to think about other places that are important to the crazy bugger." Severus wanted to grin and add his own comment but refrained. He didn't want the others to think that he had gone soft. The room went silent once again for a time before Albus spoke.

"Perhaps we should adjourn this meeting for now. We can all think on it and reconvene with ideas later." Severus nodded. Moody spoke next, surprising Severus.

"I think we should dismiss the children and have an adult conversation." Severus could see that all three teens looked offended, but he didn't care. His feelings were finally being vindicated and his daughter would be out of harm's way. The three teens stood and shared a quiet conversation with Sirius and Remus. Hermione hugged the pair of them before turning his way. She glared at him.

"Don't look so smug about finally getting your way. You know I did this." Severus burst out in laughter and pulled her into a hug, ignoring the stares that were being sent his way.

"It is your fault and I appreciate it, sweet." She leaned on her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Severus ran his hand down the length of her ebony curls before sending her and her mates on their way. Once the teens were out of the way, Moody turned to Albus, expression hard.

"You've admitted to a lot of illegal activity today, Albus. Kidnapping, hiding the identity of a child, binding her magic, those are just the beginning. Endangering those children is not acceptable. I understand that they must do what they must do, but they're sixteen. Let them be sixteen until it just isn't possible anymore." Albus didn't even get a chance to speak before Kingsley did.

"If I hear of you mistreating any of them for any reason, I will call in a full ministry inquisition. For the record, if anything happens to Hermione, it will be you that I investigate. I know that you aren't listening to that girl because of her parentage, otherwise you would have been listening to Malfoy ages ago. She has something on you and rather than just tell everyone, she's going to use it against you. I'm warning you, go public with whatever it is that she's hiding. She has Slytherin in her blood. She'll never stop using it to her advantage. Speaking as a Slytherin myself, if you will." Minerva promised everyone there.

"I will keep a close eye on the three of them. I know that Severus does a fine job but an extra set of eyes on the three of them couldn't hurt. I would hate to see Hermione turn to the dark because someone hurt or killed either of her mates. The prophecy said that it could go either way." This thought seemed to sober them all. Severus knew that while he would be safe if his daughter went dark, he couldn't say with certainty that many people would be. Moody spoke again.

"Let's not give the girl a reason to go dark. She seems more than happy to bring about the downfall of her grandfather, let's keep it that way." For once, Severus agreed with the aged auror.

There were a few more pleasantries exchanged but their meeting ended quickly. Severus wasn't about to complain. He had marking to do and the detention of Miss Brown to oversee. Minerva caught him outside the office and laid a hand on his arm.

"I see why you didn't tell anyone. Thank you for trusting me with this information." Severus felt that he would be remiss if he didn't warm her.

"Keep your eye to Albus, Minerva. When we left the Hospital Wing I could see that he wanted to hurt my daughter." Minerva looked quite distressed.

"I want to know what she has on him. It has to be big for him to agree to telling us all his deepest, darkest secret." Severus snorted.

"Trust me, that was far from his deepest secret." Her eyes widened so he relented.

"He made me swear an Unbreakable Vow to spy for him. When Hermione broke into his mind, she saw it and made him release me. He is also aware that Potter's relatives abuse him. He knew that Sirius was innocent of turning the Potter's into the Dark Lord. She demanded that Albus get Black reinstated into polite society, that's the real reason that he came forward to the Ministry. There is more but she hasn't told me. From small things she's said, I think that he had to bribe people to become Headmaster here." Minerva's eyes clouded over.

"He knew that Sirius was innocent?" Severus nodded.

"I watched as she broke into his mind and then demanded that he free him. She told him that she would expose every dark and dirty secret he had if he didn't release Sirius, get Potter away from the Dursley's, and release me from my Vow." Minerva shook her head sadly.

"I thought I knew him. I looked up to him. Who knew that it was all a huge lie?" Severus didn't say anything. He laid a hand on the older woman's shoulder and gave her a sympathetic look.

"You're involved now. Keep an eye on all three of them when I'm not around." She gave a sad nod before turning and making her way down the corridor.

Severus could only shake his head. There was nothing else that he could do about the situation therefore he put one foot in front of the other and headed for the dungeons, so he could grade more essays

-O-

Hemione was slightly miffed that they had been sent on their way, so the adults could talk after they left. She had stewed for several minutes until Draco had pointed out that they probably wanted to chew out Dumbledore for all the shite he had done without an audience. When Hermione considered his words, she realized that he was probably right.

Harry led the three of them to dinner. They took their usual seats, and nobody seemed to be wise to the fact that they had stayed over night in the Hospital Wing. Hermione tried not to think about the fact that Madam Pomfrey's scar potion hadn't completely rid her abdomen of the scar she received from the minotaur.

Dinner passed quickly, none of them wanting to hang around and deal with their peers when they were more excited to get back to the Room and relax. Hermione should have considered having food brought to them or asking the Room for it but there was nothing for it now. The trio called out their farewells to their friends before they traversed the corridors on their way to the Room.

Draco paced the corridor and when the door to the Room of Requirement appeared, Hermione let out a breath of relief. She had slept well the night before, but she still didn't feel rested and the night before that had been spent tossing and turning in Ginny's bed. What she really wanted was to curl up in the middle of her boys and sleep the night through. She would have loved to have a lie in the next day, but classes resumed.

The boys didn't waste any time stripping off their clothes as they made their way to the wardrobe. Hermione decided that she wanted a shower; she hadn't felt properly clean since yesterday morning. Cleaning spells were alright in a pinch, but nothing beat a shower. Her boys watched her start for the bathroom, their hunger for her evident in their gazes. Hermione couldn't help the small smile that graced her features. Perhaps she could indulge them before she fell asleep.

The hot water felt glorious on her sore muscles. After washing her hair and soaping her body, she let it loosen the tightness in her shoulders and back. She stifled a yawn even though it was still early. She wondered if the boys were as tired as she was.

After she felt properly clean, Hermione stepped out of the spray and waved her hand over her body and hair, drying them completely. She was unsure how she ever managed to take a shower without magic before; drying spells saved her so much time. She didn't bother dressing since she was sure that the boys were going to want to reaffirm their love, a concept that Hermione wasn't opposed to. Even though she was still a little shy around them both when she was naked, she threw open the door and made her way to the bed. Harry and Draco both paused whatever they were doing by the fire to watch her with hungry eyes.

Hermione laid down on the bed and decided that if they didn't make their way over to her before she fell asleep, she would shag them in the morning. She really was exhausted. She needn't have worried, however, since she had only been on the bed for all of five seconds before they were both next to her, naked themselves. Draco pulled her close for a kiss, his mouth dominating hers. His tongue stroked hers, tasting every inch of her mouth.

Harry was running his fingers through her folds, coating his fingers with her arousal fluid. He bent and pressed kiss after kiss to her new scar, circling her clit with his finger. Hermione was on a sensation overload when Draco suddenly tweaked her nipple roughly, causing her to gasp softly. Her blond lover pushed her flat to the bed, so he could take her nipple in his mouth, tonguing the peak and then nibbling on it. She buried her hands in his hair and held him there, enjoying the sweet torture he was inflicting.

Hermione should have seen it coming, but she was too caught up in Draco to pay attention to what Harry was doing. When his hot mouth descended on her wet flesh, she jumped high enough that Harry reached out and pressed her hips to the bed once more. He was suckling at her pleasure pearl and it was heaven on earth. His fingers were slowly pumping inside her, enough to tease, not fulfill. Though her hips were stuck to the bed, she still fought to rut against his hand, in desperate need of release.

Out of nowhere, Harry pulled his hand out of her and spread her liberal amount of liquid desire over her backside. In the back of her mind, she knew that he was going to stick his finger in her arse, but she couldn't concentrate on anything except his tongue on her pussy and Draco's tongue at her breast. When he worked his finger inside her arse, Hermione clenched tightly, surprised at the pain. Draco lifted his head from her breast and shushed her softly.

"It's going to feel amazing, you just have to relax." Hermione willed her muscles to relax like Draco had instructed and to her complete surprise, it did start to feel good. Harry continued to lick and suckle her, making it possible to slip several fingers inside her. Draco was alternating between licks and nips to her nipples, making her want to lose her mind.

Hermione was surprised when Harry stopped completely, and Draco sat up, so they could pull her to knees between them. Harry's firm hand on her back pushed her down into the doggy-style position and Hermione was excited. This was her favorite position. She felt him press kisses to her lower back and backside before he slipped his fingers back in her arse. It was in this moment that Hermione realized just what he intended to do. She was nervous as fuck, but she couldn't deny that it excited her as well.

Draco was carding his hands through her curls while Harry lined the head of his cock up with her arse. She felt intense pressure as he slowly pushed inside her. Hermione couldn't help the small hiss of pain as his head passed through her ring of muscle. Draco reached out and began stroking her clit while Harry inched his way inside her. Hermione could feel herself getting excited all over again and began pressing back into Harry, urging him to continue. As soon as he had his whole length buried in her, he withdrew halfway and slid inside her again.

Hermione had never imagined herself to be a person that would like anal sex but from what she could tell now, she had no problems with it. Harry had been gentle and took his time preparing her, so she was more than happy to urge him on. She was more than surprised when he reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her upright so he could lean her against his chest. One hand went down to toy with her clit while the other began massaging her breast. She couldn't hold back the moan of pleasure as Draco moved forward.

Draco lined himself up with her pussy and slowly entered her. All three of them groaned at how delightfully full she felt. Hermione felt like she was going to break into two. Her hands reached out and snatched Draco's hair, pulling her to him in a rough kiss. He reciprocated fully and once he was fully seated inside her, they both withdrew and plunged inside her.

It was pure bliss.

Hermione didn't know that sex could feel this good. It was amazing when she had sex with either of her boys, but this took lovemaking to a whole new level. It was dark, dirty, and delicious and she wasn't going to be able to get enough of this. Her boys worked out a rhythm and were pulling moans from her like it was nothing. Hermione couldn't even see straight because the pleasure was making her vision hazy.

She fell over the edge quickly. Both her boys gritted their teeth and kept moving even though her inner muscles were clenching around them making them want to spill inside her. Hermione wasn't sure where they found the willpower to continue thrusting in her. The Gryffindor hadn't fully recovered when Draco reached down and pinched her nub, sending her into ecstasy once more.

This time, both of her boys groaned as she fluttered around them and slammed into her one final time. Hermione's legs were jelly and she wasn't sure how long they were going to hold her after Harry and Draco released her. Both boys leaned their sweaty bodies onto her and Hermione stroked them both as best she could. Small kisses peppered her neck and shoulders, reassuring her of their love for her.

There was slight pain when they pulled out of her body and Hermione was sure that she would have a delicious ache in the morning from their time spent together. She was correct that her legs wouldn't hold her long; as soon as they released her, she fell to her side and recovered there. She was even more surprised when she felt a soft tongue on her nether regions, licking them softly. It was clear that it wasn't meant to stimulate her, and Hermione was grateful for that. She didn't think that she would be capable of coming again.

Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't even sure who was licking her. She laid there and let them have their way. Hermione had no idea how long it had gone on before it stopped. Their hushed voices floated over the top of her and she was enjoying that spot between wakefulness and sleep. Draco was whispering to Harry, leading her to believe that he had been the one licking her.

"You were right, her arse tastes good. Just as good as her pussy." Someone brushed their hand against her cheek.

"We should have waited until tomorrow. Look how exhausted she is." One of them kissed the back of her head.

"I can't believe we almost lost her. We have to be more careful." Harry spoke.

"Are you talking about her breaking up with us or almost dying?" Draco was silent for a long moment.

"Both. We can't lose her." Hermione felt the blanket shift up around her, encasing her in warmth. Both of her boys pulled her close and she reveled in the feel of them.

"We won't. Now everyone else knows, they'll try to keep us out of the horcrux search." Soft fingers drew circles on her belly.

"Fine by me, I've had enough of Voldemort to last a lifetime."

Hermione wasn't sure if the boys continued their whispered conversation because sleep finally overtook her.

A/N- There ya have it, folks. This chapter seemed so repetitive, explaining things that are already known, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I hope you enjoyed it regardless. Leave me a message after the beep and tell me what you think.

**For the record, I am not justifying violence between a man and a woman. It simply fit the story. Please don't send me messages telling me that I'm saying hitting women is okay because that's not what I'm doing at all. **

Next up, Umbridge is going down.

Love,

Alicia


	36. Chapter 36

A/N- Y'all are awesome, I just love the support you give me during the writing of this story. Those that have supported me in any way throughout this fic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For the guest reviewer, once again, I'm planning on 49 chapters but that isn't set in stone. It's most definitely up for debate, depending on my muse. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy Umbridge's downfall, I hope that it ends up being epic.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. All the tropes have been done before and they've probably been done better. Anything you recognize belongs to our queen, J.K.R.

Chapter 36

February 28, 1996

Hermione couldn't keep the grin off her face. Just the day before Hermione had pulled a first year Gryffindor to the side and had begged him of a favor. Since the little lion was most trusting of one of his house, Hermione gave him the prestigious position of planting the information of a Defense Club in the mind of Dolores Umbridge. Just the drop of her name, the first year had become most nervous, but Hermione had assured him that no harm would come to him.

Hermione had instructed him to cause a bit of a scene in Defense the day before and let the Professor assign him detention. When he reported for detention, tell the professor that the older students were all getting together in the Room of Requirement to meet illegally for defense lessons. Hermione had previously arranged with Dobby, so the Room would be visible, and she would take care of the rest.

While she felt a thrill of excitement, the rest of her friends were nervous. She hadn't told anyone outside of the twins, Ginny, Luna, and Theo that they were setting Umbridge up that night. She needed numbers to make it believable. All her friends were resolute in their determination to bring the horrible hag down, reinforcing the fact that Hermione believed that she was doing the right thing, but they were nervous about getting in trouble. Hermione had assured them that they were likely the only people to be held back by Umbridge. While it did put the twins, Ginny, and Luna at a small risk, Hermione was almost certain that Harry would be the one to bear the brunt of her anger. Hermione just had to make sure that she didn't overreact, so she wouldn't be expelled.

Her breakfast was before her but was wholly unappetizing. She had managed a few bites but there wasn't anything that anyone could sat to make her eat more. Everyone was already on edge for the meeting that night, so Hermione was leaning towards the houses taking care of themselves that day.

This being Hermione's general belief, it wasn't one that was shared by Harry. He was whispering softly up the table to students that they need not worry about getting in trouble, that he would be the one that suffered rather than themselves. Some believed him, he was the Great Harry Potter after all, but some still seemed wary. Hermione didn't blame them in the least. In their places she probably would have been wary as well. Her thoughts were brought to a halt by Harry speaking to the table.

"That's the bell. We better get to class. We can't afford detention today of all days." Hermione knew that he was correct, so she nodded her head in agreement. The twins seemed to want to rebel but refused to speak against the girl that they considered their little sister. Hermione stood and waited for the boys to join her before they joined her on their way to Potions. Neither boys seemed too excited for her father's class, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Harry had suggested that they have Severus keep his evening open so that they could call upon him if he was needed. Hermione had laughed at the thought at first, thinking that there was no way that Umbridge could get past her plan, but a day later, Hermione had reconsidered her opinion and realized that it wouldn't be difficult for Umbridge to back the professor if she so ordered it. Therefore, her wand would be constantly hiding up the sleeve of her robes, more than ready to call upon her father if it was needed.

Hermione pulled her boys to take their usual seats in Potions. They took their seats with little to no fanfare, quietly taking their books and parchment out with them so they could take notes. Her father began his lecture on the Draught of Peace and Hermione took immaculate notes. Draco and Harry beside her did as well. What Hermione had noticed was that Lavender no longer seemed eager to tease Hermione and rub her insecurities in her face. She knew that the girl had had detention with her father for a couple nights, but she hadn't expected the girl to desist quite so easily. Harry had pointed out that it was perhaps the thrashing the girl had received at her hands that made her wary of crossing Hermione again.

The trio worked together once the class was cleared to brew the potion from their notes. Harry went to gather their ingredients while she and Draco readied their cauldron. Hermione realized that Neville was paired with Seamus and Dean, making for a disastrous trio and Ronald was paired with Lavender and Parvati. She doubted that either group of Gryffindors would achieve the desired result the first time, but she could certainly be surprised.

Harry returned, and the trio began their brewing. It wasn't a terribly difficult potion to make, simply time consuming. By the end of the class period, Draco, Hermione, and Harry had turned in a perfect specimen of the potion. Hermione had had to hide a smile when her father winked her way on their way out of class.

The trio moved on to Herbology after Potions. It was clearly a lecture period, covering Fanged Geranium. This was Hermione's least favorite subject, so it was easy to get lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't stop thinking about Umbridge going down. While her father had been made aware that something was going to happen, he was the only one and he was clear in the dungeons. If something went terribly wrong, they would be unable to depend on him and that left the safety of all the students on Hermione's shoulders. To say that she was nervous would be an understatement.

The class passed quickly since there wasn't any practical part this time. The trio made their way to lunch and Hermione could hear the whispers all around them about that evening. It wasn't helping her nerves in the slightest. She was very much aware of the fact that if things went wrong with Umbridge, it would be her fault.

Lunch was a quiet affair. While there were whispers all around her, from two of the three other tables, Hermione tried to block them out, so she could keep her head on straight. The whole Gryffindor table seemed nervous but there wasn't much that she could do about it. They would attend the meeting no matter what it meant for them because they were lions and being brave was a key trait of Gryffindors. While she didn't like it, she knew that there was nothing she could do to change it.

The lunch bell rang, and Hermione pulled herself to her feet, forcing her boys to follow her lead. While she knew that they weren't as nervous as she was, they were still nervous about being split up. It was clear that Umbridge favored Slytherin and it wouldn't have surprised Hermione if she dismissed Draco and Theo just because of their house affiliation. She didn't think that either one of them planned on leaving but it made them both nervous to consider disobeying a teacher like that for no good reason.

The trio made their way to transfiguration. Hermione loved the class, but she didn't feel challenged anymore, that much was fact. She wished that she could have a different lesson plan than the rest of the students but there wasn't anything that she could do about it. The trio took their seats and waited patiently for the Deputy Headmistress to appear. When she finally did, she was quick to assign them reading and then an essay. Hermione couldn't help but be disappointed. Therefore, she was doubly surprised when Professor McGonagall called her to the front of the room to speak to her once the rest of the class had their assignment.

"Miss Granger, I'm aware that the curriculum doesn't challenge you in the least. You have no idea how much this pleases me. Since there isn't much that even the seventh-year curriculum could offer you, I wanted to let you know that for the rest of year, you are exempt from schoolwork in this class. That being said, I want you to spend your time studying for your N.E. in this subject. You are more than ready, and I know that you will pass with flying colors. If it is to your liking, once you pass your test at the end of the year, I would love to take you on as an apprentice at the end of the year." Hermione wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to say. Her professor was offering her the opportunity to gain a mastery just a year after graduating since they usually took three years to achieve. She already knew that she wanted at least the mastery in transfiguration, but she was unsure of where to go from there. Therefore, she squealed and threw her arms around her strictest professor.

"I accept, oh Merlin, I'll make you proud, I swear it." Her professor chuckled as she hugged the teen back and Hermione had to bite back a smile.

"I'm pleased, I would love to know that you were taking my place at the school, but I would understand if you wanted to see a bit of the world first." Hermione had no interest in the world at large but didn't tell her professor that.

"I'm not sure what I want to do but studying under you in a great honor. You've been my personal hero since I began Hogwarts." Hermione could see that her words affected the older woman. Her eyes watered and softened, and Hermione could only hope that the woman wouldn't cry. Professor McGonagall gathered herself visibly and shook her mistiness away.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. That means a lot to me since I've never really considered myself one for favorites. Yet here we are." Hermione knew that the woman was telling her that she had always been one of her favorites but didn't want to actually say the words.

"I'm glad, Professor." The older woman let the happiness fall from her gaze as she glanced from side to side.

"I know that you have something planned regarding Madam Umbridge. I would really like to know what the plan is; I don't intend to interfere." Hermione wasn't sure that she could trust those words since one of the students, most likely Harry, would receive at least one curse. Hermione fully intended to step in after she made the first move, but it would prove to be difficult if she truly harmed Harry. After all, she couldn't get the woman fired if she killed her as she did Bellatrix. Hermione leaned close to her Head of House and winked conspiratorially.

"We're setting her up. I know she's going to keep us when she figures out that we're running an 'illegal' defense group and she's going to punish one of us. She knows exactly who I am, so she won't take the chance of cursing me. I doubt that she would take the chance of cursing Theo or Draco so that leaves Harry. I'm simply hoping that I can keep my calm when it happens and not kill her. As wonderful as the thought of her being dead is, I want her to suffer the indignity of losing her job and prestige because she causes a student harm. I'm going to have to control myself, so I can stop her but not harm her." Her professor shot her a worried look.

"Will you be able to control yourself?" Hermione knew that she couldn't answer truly in the affirmative. Therefore, she did the best that she could.

"I hope so. To be honest, she made Harry use a blood quill for his one and only detention with her and I cursed her into the window and knocked her out. Dad had to come and modify her memory." The older witch seemed a little surprised at her words but took it in stride.

"This time will be different, Miss Granger. You will control yourself and you will make sure that we can prosecute her to the fullest extent of the law. I trust that you have a plan." Hermione gave her a heartfelt smile.

"I hope so, Professor." The older woman gave her a secret smile and Hermione felt bolstered by the fact that one of the faculty had faith in her.

The class ended quickly enough and once they were in the corridor, Hermione shared her professor's words with them. Both boys seemed skeptical that she would allow such an underhanded plot to occur, but Hermione was quite certain that they were underestimating the woman's influence on evil activity around them. Once Transfiguration dismissed, Hermione was left with the feeling that nobody believed her. She wasn't sure if that was the case, but she had yet to see any level of support.

Dinner was a simple roast beef and roast potatoes, one of Ron's favorite dishes. She tried not to stare at him in disgust as he inhaled his food, hardly chewing. Draco and Harry caught her gaze and burst into laughter at the look on her face. She turned her gaze to her own food and did the best she could. Her mind kept turning to the meeting that took place in a few hours and hoping that she could control herself enough to get the proof that they needed to get Umbridge sacked.

Everyone finished their meal quickly and Harry gave them all a quick reminder to make it to the meeting on time. Hermione needed to try to take her mind off what would be happening, so she dragged both of her boys to the library. She was up to date on her homework but there was always something that she could research. Her thoughts were currently leading her towards the typical apprenticeship and what guidelines there generally were.

Harry and Draco rolled their eyes at her destination but didn't complain. Surprisingly, Theo turned up shortly after they arrived and claimed that he had homework of his own to work on. All three of the boys had Transfiguration to work on so Hermione left them to it. She was enthralled in a book that she found about modern apprenticeships when Theo broke the silence.

"You already finished your homework?" Hermione smirked his way.

"I'm exempt from Transfiguration for the rest of the year. Professor McGonagall told me that I no longer had to participate in class if I studied for my N.E.W.T. in the class. She wants me to test out at the end of the year and then begin apprenticing under her next year." Theo stared at her uncomprehendingly. For several seconds, it was silent.

"You're telling me that you're going to test out with the seventh years at the end of the year?" Hermione smirked again and nodded.

"That's what I'm telling you." Theo started to slowly shake his head before he smiled.

"You're such an overachiever. That just means that you get to help me with my homework whenever I need it." Hermione giggled softly before she nodded.

"You got it."

The four of the continued with their homework for the next couple hours. All the boys finished their transfiguration and started on their charms essay that was due in three days' time. Hermione made it halfway through the book she was reading and found it an informative read. She checked it out as the four of them left and started to make their way to the seventh-floor corridor.

There was tension in the air as they passed students on their way to pace in front of Barnabas the Barmy. Hermione did her best to not let worry seep in and she could see the others doing the same. Harry paced the corridor and when the door opened, the four of them slipped inside. Where they usually got the dummies ready and spread out the mats, they did nothing to ready the room.

Students began pouring into the Room and Hermione had to admit that she was surprised that there were as many people that showed up. While she was almost positive that the other students wouldn't receive any sort of punishment, it wasn't completely certain. The fact that they trusted Hermione enough to get rid of the woman touched her.

Harry lined them up in two lines, facing each other. It had been decided that they wouldn't show the toad exactly what they were working on, instead she could report to the authorities when they arrived that they had been learning a simple disarming charm. Once they were all in place, Hermione facing off against her brother, Harry spoke.

"We all know what is going to happen tonight. When she comes in I want her to see us learning expelliarmus. Nothing that will tell anyone that we're learning defensive magic. We can make it seem like this is our first meeting. I've talked to one of the elves and he's going to make sure the door remains open, so she can get in. I doubt she understands how the Room of Requirement works so that's our only option. We don't know how long it will be until she gets here so get busy and make it look like you don't know what you're doing."

Harry started wandering along the two lines of people, impressed that they were as convincing as they were. Hermione was less than thrilled to have to act like she had no idea how to defend herself but there was nothing for it. It had to be done. Everyone else seemed to be just as annoyed as she was at acting like they didn't know what they were doing.

It didn't take long for Umbridge to arrive. Only half an hour had passed when the door went flying open and an enraged professor barreled through. Her face matched Ron's when he got angry, so red it was almost puce. Sparks shot out of her stubby wand and everyone went silent and dropped their wands to their sides, so they could stare at her. Hermione was proud of everyone for standing their ground and not instantly blaring out that there was a plan against her all along.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hermione wasn't surprised when Harry stepped forward and met the witch's stare.

"We're learning defense since we haven't learned a single thing in your class." Umbridge started to sputter in indignation.

"You've learned plenty, you just haven't learned what you wanted to." Harry shrugged his shoulders and twirled his wand.

"We aren't doing anything wrong. We're learning the disarming charm. Nobody can accuse us of learning violent magic. Disarming fits the same logic you've been teaching, non-confrontational magic." Umbridge crossed her arms over her chest, wand still clutched in her hand.

"That's well and good but you haven't read Hogwarts rules. All clubs and extracurricular activities have to be signed off on by a professor." Hermione wanted to laugh at the assumption Umbridge was making. The toad was completely unaware that McGonagall had signed off on the D.A. several weeks before. Hermione raised her hand knowing that the woman wouldn't let her speak.

"Put your hand down, Miss Granger. The fact that you're involved in this is appalling. You've let Mr. Potter's Gryffindor nature pull you in. Your father is going to be so disappointed in you." Hermione was anxious to shut the woman up. Nobody could know her true parentage until the right time. She didn't have to worry, however, because the witch in question turned to the rest of the room.

"All of you, back to your common rooms. This farce of a club is at it's end. Everyone except for Miss Lovegood, Miss Granger, the twin Weasleys, and Miss Weasley. You stay here." Nobody was eager to stick around and see this part of the confrontation. It was a race for the door, nobody wanting to take the chance of scoring more detention. Draco and Theo stayed behind, coming up next to Hermione and Harry. Umbridge seemed flustered for a moment when he realized that they weren't leaving.

"Mr. Nott, Mr. Malfoy, you are dismissed. Don't let me hear about you consorting with these people again." Draco stepped forward and took one of Hermione's hand in his and Harry's in the other.

"I'm not leaving. I'm with them all the way." Professor Umbridge clucked her tongue.

"Very well, Draco. I'm sure your father will not be happy at the company you keep but it is your choice to do what you wish." She turned to Theo.

"You need to go, Theodore." Theo stepped forward and stopped next to Hermione.

"You know where my loyalties lie." It was just enough to point out that Hermione was his sister but vague enough to not let everyone else in on the fact that he knew who she was. Professor Umbridge took a menacing step forward and brandished her wand.

"Mr. Nott, I insist that you head to your common room. I know for a fact that your father wouldn't like where your so-called loyalty lies." Hermione stepped forward and crossed her arms over her chest.

"He's chosen his side. What are you going to do now? If you're going to try to punish us, know that you can't. We haven't done anything wrong." Umbridge stepped forward and without a hint of what she was going to do. Her hand swung out and slapped Hermione across the face. It was hard enough that her head snapped to the side and her ears rang. It caused her to drop to her knees and Hermione took the moment to make sure that the voice recorder was still in her robe pocket. Harry and Draco went to their knees next to her, trying to help her up, while Theo stepped in front of all of them. The rest of their friends were silent as they watched the proceedings, knowing that they couldn't do anything without jeopardizing their objective. Theo's voice rang out, surprising Hermione.

"You'll get fired for that. You aren't allowed to strike a student." Umbridge laughed cruelly at his words before she pointed her wand at him. Hermione started to climb to her feet when the toad spoke.

"You'll find that I can do whatever I please. I'm in charge at this school. Cornelius gave me official dispensation to do whatever I needed to to make sure that the school runs properly." Hermione was on her feet wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, when Umbridge spoke.

"Crucio."

Theo dropped like a rock and started screaming. Hermione couldn't believe that the witch had used an Unforgivable in the school against a student. Harry and Draco both stepped to the side, complete surprise clear on their faces. Hermione couldn't let it continue. Her brother was thrashing on the floor, still screaming, and Hermione knew that it was up to her to stop the toad. With wandless magic, she disarmed the witch, catching her wand cleanly. Hermione cast the same spell on her that she had on Thoros Nott, dropping the pink-clad witch to her knees. Everyone stepped back while Hermione wrought her own revenge.

The twins, Ginny, and Luna all stepped back, horrified looks on their faces. Harry and Draco bent at Theo's side, doing their best to make sure that their friend was alright. Hermione was quite sure that she had taken Umbridge's punishment a step too far, but she didn't care. Theo was her brother and she would protect him as such. There was no way that the Ministry could do anything to her since she hadn't used a wand to hurt her.

When she finally ended the spell, Hermione reached into her pocket and pulled out the voice recorder. She played it back until she reached the point where the screams became Umbridge's instead of Theo's and hit erase. The tape ended as soon as Umbridge's wand went soaring through the air. Harry stepped forward and cast a spell to bind the professor, hands tied tightly behind her back. Hermione pocketed her wand and turned to the Weasleys and Luna.

"You're all free to go back to your common room. If there are any questions that need answered, I'll let the Headmaster know that you were present." They all nodded, and Fred was a little wary when he spoke.

"Is she dead?" Hermione shook her head, hoping that she hadn't just lost their friendship.

"No, I stopped before it could kill her. This may seem harsh to you, but nobody hurts my brother. I don't like doing what I just did but it needed to happen. Do you really think that Umbridge would have gone quietly even without her wand?" They all shook their heads. Hermione needed to make sure that they were going to have her back if they were questioned.

"Do you four intend to tell the truth about what happened here tonight?" The Weasleys all looked affronted at her question. It was George that stepped forward and put his hands on his hips.

"We're your friends, we would never snitch you out. How could you even think that?" Hermione felt a twinge of guilt at asking the question.

"You all looked a little squeamish at what I just did." Fred stepped forward next to George.

"We know that it needed to be done. We just didn't expect it to be quite like that. We aren't going to snitch on you." Hermione gave them a small smile.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't sure that you would be alright with it." The twins gave her a smile before they started to herd Ginny and Luna to the door. Once they were gone, Hermione turned her attention back to her boys and Theo. Umbridge was unconscious, which Hermione couldn't have when she delivered her to Dumbledore. Hermione cast a wandless rennervate. Umbridge's eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Hermione took a handful of the woman's hair and made her meet her eyes.

"Nobody fucks with my brother, my father, or my boys." Umbridge laughed.

"You can't prove a thing." Hermione just grinned in return.

"Let's go. We're going to Dumbledore's office." Hermione was more than happy to let the boys each take an arm of Umbridge, so she could prop Theo up with her shoulder. His body was still randomly shaking with the aftershocks of the Cruciatus. He gave Hermione a shaky smile.

"Thanks, sis." She wrapped an arm around his waist and started to follow Harry, Draco, and Umbridge.

There were no students in corridors as they made their way from the seventh floor to the second where Dumbledore's office was located. Umbridge was cursing at them, swearing up and down that she would see them all expelled. Neither boy responded, and Hermione could only imagine that it was making the professor angrier.

They reached the griffin that guarded Dumbledore's office and Hermione instructed them to wait until the Headmaster opened it for them. A minute passed before the griffin leapt out of the way and the staircase descended. Hermione watched as Umbridge started to fight Harry and Draco and they in turn tightened their hold on her arms. Theo was still lurching to the side slightly, but Hermione kept her shoulder planted firmly in his armpit. When they reached the top of the stairs, the door swung open as if the Headmaster was aware that they wouldn't have spare hands to turn the door knob. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, eyes twinkling.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Mr. Nott, what a lovely surprise. Is there a reason that you have Madam Umbridge tied up?" Umbridge started screeching.

"They've been holding meetings of a club that isn't sanctioned by a professor. I put an end to it and they overpowered me and took my wand. That little bitch cast the Cruciatus on me." Hermione helped Theo into a chair and turned to the Headmaster.

"I think we'll be needing the Minister and a few aurors to escort Madam Umbridge to Azkaban." The Headmaster raised his eyebrow.

"Is that necessary?" Hermione raised her brow back.

"Not only did she strike me, she used the Cruciatus on Theo. She deserves to be in prison." Umbridge started screaming again.

"I did no such thing, they have no proof!" Hermione turned and looked her way.

"What makes you think that we don't have proof?" She turned her attention back to Dumbledore.

"Call them now."

The Headmaster sighed and nodded, standing from his chair behind his desk. He made his way over to the fireplace and knelt before it, throwing floo powder in. The flames turned green and Dumbledore's head disappeared in the fire. Theo was still quaking sporadically, and Hermione went to his side.

"We should get you to the Hospital Wing." He shook his head.

"No, I need to be here. When we're done, I'll go see Pomfrey." She smoothed his hair back from his forehead and gave him a soft smile.

"Alright, have it your way. But you will be going." Theo chuckled softly and nodded.

"You got it."

The Headmaster stood from before the fire and went back to his chair. He steepled his hands under his chin for a few moments before he whipped out his wand and cast a patronus, an enormous phoenix. He whispered a message to it that Hermione couldn't quite hear and sent it on it's way. He turned Hermione's way and smiled at her questioning gaze.

"I sent for Severus and Minerva. They both deserve to be here for this." She gave an approving nod. It wasn't long at all before there was a knock at the door. Her father and Professor McGonagall strode through the door together making her think that they were together. It suited her perfectly. Her father caught her gaze and his eyes flashed. In a matter of seconds, he had made his way across the room and took her face in his hands, so he could inspect her face.

"What happened to you?" He swiped his thumb over a part of the blood trickle that she had wiped away.

"That fucking bitch hit me. The boys came to help me, and Theo stepped between us. She used the Cruciatus on him." Hermione could see the absolute fury flit through his eyes before he turned to Dumbledore.

"The Ministry is sending someone?" He gave a single nod before returning his eyes to Hermione.

"After this meeting, I'll heal your face. It's already bruising." She nodded and gave him a smile. Umbridge was still screeching the background about the injustice of the whole situation but nobody was really paying attention to her. It was several minutes before the fireplace flared to life and Cornelius Fudge and three aurors stepped out of the flames. Hermione had to bite back a grin when on of the aurors was Kingsley Shacklebolt. Cornelius was sloppily put together leading Hermione to believe that he had been roused from bed.

"What is the meaning of this? Why is my undersecretary bound?" Dumbledore sighed and held his hands out to Hermione.

"I believe Miss Granger is the one that called for you and will be doling out the explanations." Hermione nodded the Headmaster's way graciously.

"Madam Umbridge has been putting students in detention and making them use a blood quill, carving words in their own hands. The older students have stepped in when she targets the first and second years, they're just little kids for Merlin's sake. We finally had enough." Hermione took a deep breath before continuing.

"We've started a new club to teach defense to the students. Harry teaches it since he's had the most experience in fighting the dark. She rushed in tonight, ranting about how we were running an illegal club. It isn't illegal, Professor McGonagall signed off on it almost three weeks ago." She watched as her transfiguration professor stepped forward.

"She's right. Miss Granger and Mr. Potter approached me about having a dueling club. I agreed that it couldn't hurt them to learn what they could from Mr. Potter. Their club isn't illegal in the slightest." Hermione had never been happier that she had covered her ground and her tracks. The confused look on Umbridge's face was priceless.

"We got sick of her treating us like she did, so we decided to set her up. We had a firstie drop the location of our meeting. When she burst in, she told us that we were perfectly under the confines of Hogwarts' rules. She wouldn't even let us tell her that Professor McGonagall had sanctioned it. Umbridge dismissed everyone except myself, Harry and his friends. Theo and Draco stayed because they're our friends. When I told her that she couldn't do anything to us, she slapped me. Harry and Draco came to my side to help me and Theo stood between that awful hag and me. She cursed him with the Cruciatus." There were little gasps that finally made the others in the room realize how serious she was.

"I wandlessly disarmed the professor so she would stop torturing Theo. The boys bound her and we all came here." Umbridge started yelling.

"She cast the Cruciatus on me, don't let the little bitch lie to you. She had to wake me up." Hermione snorted and held out her wand.

"Here, check my wand. All you'll find is a disarming charm." Kingsley took her wand and checked it.

"She's right. She didn't cast the Cruciatus." Umbridge started yelling again.

"It doesn't matter, they have no proof." Her father didn't let anyone else speak.

"There's proof enough in the bruises on Miss Granger's face. The aftershocks of the Cruciatus on Mr. Nott. Don't you dare call them liars." Even though Fudge looked shocked at his words he couldn't stop his next words.

"I have to agree with Madam Umbridge. There has to be some proof." Hermione pulled Umbridge's wand from her pocket.

"Scan it and then I'll show you my proof." Kingsley stepped forward and took the short stubby wand and waved his own wand at it. The spells that flew past didn't surprise Hermione. The room gasped when the Cruciatus appeared. Once the room fell quiet, Hermione stepped forward with the tape recorder in her hand.

"This is a muggle device called a voice recorder. While it doesn't show what happens, every single word is recorded. These devices are used in courts in muggle law. I beg you to listen to the truth." Hermione rewound the device and started it from the start.

The truth poured from the small speaker. Everyone in the room listened as the students stepped forward and tried to tell their professor that they weren't illegal. They heard as Umbridge sent everyone away except Harry and his friends and the bravery of the Slytherins as they told her that they were remaining behind. When the slap was heard clearly, Hermione could see Professor McGonagall restraining her father. The Cruciatus was cast next and only the screams of Theo were heard. Her father and Professor McGonagall looked mutinous and when it ended with Hermione wandlessly disarming the witch, her father turned to the Minister.

"You put your dog in Azkaban or I will personally inform Thoros Nott of the treatment his son received at the hands of a Ministry official. I'm not sure that the treatment he and Mr. Malfoy received would be well-received at all." Hermione could tell that her father was furious and was barely leashing his anger. Umbridge started screaming.

"You gave me dispensation, Cornelius, you told me to do what I needed to to keep Hogwarts running smoothly. I did what I had to do." The Minister sneered her way.

"I didn't tell you to use Unforgivables on students." The woman in pink started wailing. Kingsley stepped forward and cast another binding spell on Umbridge. Hermione held her hand up and gestured that she wanted to have one last word. She stepped close to Umbridge and leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"You don't fuck with someone that the Dark Lord's granddaughter deems important. Never fuck with family." The woman's eyes widened at her words, but nobody said anything as Kingsley hauled Umbridge to her feet and towards the fire.

"I'm sorry to interrupt everyone's evening and I hope that it may continue on in a fashion that pleases you." Kingsley wasn't gentle when he shoved Umbridge into the fire, not even completely waiting for the flames to turn green. Fudge was much more vocal.

"I'm so sorry, Albus, I never thought that this would happen. I thought that she could handle the situation. It's obvious that I made an error in judgement." Hermione scoffed loudly at his words but remained silent. While Dumbledore handled the situation with the minister, Hermione turned to Theo and gestured for him to get up.

Hermione wedged her shoulder under her brother's armpit and helped him to his feet. Draco rushed forward to take his other side while Severus stood and opened the door to the Headmaster's office. Harry followed behind them, with McGonagall hot on his heels. The six of them made their way to the Hospital Wing, quite the sight she was sure.

They traversed the two flights of stairs with little problem. Theo was tiring by the last flight of stairs but that was to be expected. When they entered the Hospital Wing, Theo was shaking with the effort that it took to remain upright. Hermione wasn't surprised. He had lasted longer than she had ever dreamed that he would. Draco seemed worried for his friend and while Harry wasn't nearly as close to Theo as Draco or Hermione, it was still clear that he cared. Her father and Professor McGonagall were following closely behind.

When they entered the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey was on them before Hermione could even call out for her. She began clucking at Theo, ushering him towards the nearest bed. Hermione and Draco helped him there as quickly as they could, hopeful that the mediwitch could help him. Once he was in the bed, the mediwitch turned their way.

"What's wrong with him?" Hermione heaved a deep breath.

"Umbridge cast the Cruciatus curse on him." The mediwitch gasped and turned to the two professors in the room. Her father stepped forward and held his hands aloft.

"I know, trust me, we aren't happy. The Minister and his aurors have take the bitch away." Madam Pomfrey sniffed her displeasure but she nodded her agreement. She set about to treating Theo as he needed. Severus stepped forward to take Hermione's chin in his fingers.

"Let me heal you." Hermione gave a trusting look at her father and nodded. His wand appeared in his hand, pointed straight at her face. Without an ounce of fear, she let him cast on her. Her face instantly felt less swollen and the pain disappeared. She flashed her father a smile of thanks and then turned to her brother. Madam Pomfrey was fussing over him and pouring potion after potion down his throat. Once she bustled off, Hermione settled in the chair at the bedside of her brother. Theo smiled at her.

"You should go back to the Tower and get some sleep. Pomfrey says I'm here for the night." Hermione shook her head.

"Absolutely not. You're my brother and you got these injuries protecting me. I'm here for the long haul." Theo reached out and took her hand in his. A smile graced his features.

"I've never had anyone that wanted to stay by my bedside." Hermione smiled his way as she took his hand in hers.

"You do now. Get used to it." Theo laughed hoarsely and laid back on his pillows. The mediwitch resurfaced and Hermione watched her bully her brother into taking a Dreamless Sleep potion. He was resistant at first, but Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand.

"Please, Teddy, take the potion. I don't want you to suffer." She could tell that her nickname for him touched him down deep. When he met her eyes, he gave her a soft smile.

"I'll take it with no complaints if you promise to go back to your room and sleep as well. You can meet me here in the morning." Hermione didn't want to leave him, but she wanted him to take the Dreamless Sleep. Therefore, after a moment's thought, she turned his way and nodded her agreement. Theo took the potion from the mediwitch and chugged it down. Hermione waited there by his side until sleep pulled him under.

Once Theo was asleep, Hermione extracted her hand and met the eyes of her father and those of her transfiguration professor.

"I promised him that I would go back and sleep. Can you guarantee that he will be okay here?" She knew that her voice was pleading but she couldn't help it. Aside from her boys and Severus, Theo was the most important person in her world. Severus gave her a small smile before he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm proud of you for caring as much as you do. I will stay here with him since you have been ordered to get some sleep. Come back in the morning and spell me." Hermione couldn't have loved her father more at that moment. She moved forward into her father's arms.

"Thank you. I love you, Daddy." He kissed the top of her head and hugged her back.

"I love you too, sweet." Hermione smiled into her father's chest before she pulled away. She let Draco take a hold of her hand and pull her to the door of the Hospital Wing. Professor McGonagall and her father were conversing softly between themselves, but Hermione wasn't worried. She trusted them both with the safety of her brother.

Harry and Draco pulled her from the Hospital Wing and up the staircases that led them back to the seventh floor. She was more than ready to be ensconced in her bed in the Room of Requirement, but she couldn't help feeling slightly guilty at the fact that she had left her brother in the Hospital Wing without her. Once they reached the seventh floor, Harry paced the corridor, so he could produce the Room they slept in. Hermione was exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than sleep. She could only hope that her boys understood.

Hermione stripped her clothes off as she made her way to the loo. She used the facilities and made quick work of her evening ablutions. She was in panties when she exited the loo and climbed into bed under the boy's watchful gaze. Once she was ensconced in the blankets on their bed, she turned a bashful face to her boys.

"I'm sorry. Is it alright if we mess around tomorrow? I'm so tired right now." Both boys were in bed next to her, their lips soft on her bare skin. Harry smiled against her shoulder while Draco kissed a soft pathway down her spine.

"'Mi, we would never force you. Please don't tell me that you think we would." She began to sniffle and wiped at her eyes at his accusation.

"No, I didn't think you would force me. I was worried that you would be disappointed in me." Draco scoffed at her words.

"We could never be disappointed in you. You've dealt with a lot tonight. We just want to make sure that you're alright." Hermione nodded and raised her eyes to meet Draco's.

The three of them entered their bed with no other intentions but to sleep. While Hermione would have loved private time alone, she was worried about her brother and that took her attention from her mates. Harry pulled her onto his chest and Draco snuggled up close behind her, wrapping a possessive arm around her waist. She tried not to consider the actions that had preceded their positions at the time, but there was no preventing it. Draco had hoped that their interference would take care of their problem but that wasn't the case.

Hermione dropped off to sleep in her lover's arms, more than willing to make her life brighter in a dark time. While they all knew that Theo had to remain a secret to the world at large, Harry and Draco both knew just how much of a motivator he was for Hermione. Without Umbridge there, however, it wasn't near as big of a deal.

Hermione could only hope that her friends, boys, father, and brother would be safe until war came for them in the end.

-O-

Severus settled next to Theo in the Hospital Wing. He wasn't too excited to stay there all night, but he didn't want his daughter staying there all night and getting no rest. While he knew that she wasn't seriously hurt, seeing her face bruised and bleeding had made him want to destroy the witch who had hurt her.

He didn't think that Hermione had thought that Umbridge would take it as far as she did. She had thought that the woman would stun Harry or perhaps against herself. Never in a million years did she think that the hag would use an Unforgivable on her brother. He didn't blame her for not thinking Umbridge would go that far; he would never have thought that the witch would be stupid enough to use the Cruciatus on a student in Hogwarts.

Severus rubbed a hand down his face. He hadn't even had a chance to tell the Headmaster about his meeting with his father. He had just returned from his meeting when Albus' patronus reached him and informed him that he was needed in his office. He had assumed that it was because he had been summoned so was thoroughly surprised when it was because his daughter had implemented his plan against Umbridge for that evening. She had told him that it would be that night but he hadn't expected it to be so early.

Hermione was fine, both Draco and Potter were unharmed. Theo was still suffering aftershocks of the Cruciatus, but he would be fine by morning. The whole night had been a shit show but there wasn't much that he could do about it now. His thoughts were interrupted by the door to the Hospital Wing opening. Just as he thought he would, Albus strolled through.

"Staying with a student?" Severus nodded.

"Yes. Hermione was going to stay but he wouldn't take his sleeping draught unless she went back to her room and got rest herself. She was worried, so I told her that I would stay." Albus nodded.

"Tell me of your meeting with Tom." Severus raked a hand through his hair before he waved his wand to silence the space around them. While Theo was asleep, Poppy or one of the other students in residence could hear their conversation.

"My father ordered his Death Eaters to raid a magical town just outside of Little Hangleton. They took every single muggleborn in town. My father distributed them to his followers and they're serving as servants. That's what being said anyways, who knows what kind of treatment they're receiving. They're planning on raiding Diagon Alley in a few weeks. He's taken Hermione's words to heart, but they will still suffer. Voldemort knows it, but he doesn't care. He's only agreed to stop killing them needlessly." Albus stroked his beard as he contemplated Severus' words.

"It isn't ideal, but they aren't dying. There isn't much that we can do about it at this time. We just have to hope that we can end this war quickly, so we can release all the muggleborns." Severus nodded before speaking again.

"There are also plans to attack Westminster Abbey and the London Bridge. Since they're all muggles, it will be a massacre." The Headmaster sighed.

"Do we have dates?" Severus shook his head.

"No, it's in the beginning stages of planning. He's put Thoros in charge of the Bridge and Rodolphus in charge of Westminster. Knowing both, it will be huge with large loss of life." Albus nodded.

"Let me know when you have dates and I'll see what the Order can do." Severus knew that this was what made his position so precarious. If they put up too much of a fight, his father would know that he had passed on his plans. He had been specifically ordered not to report that to Dumbledore.

Albus didn't speak again, just rose to his feet, cancelled Severus' silencing spell, and made his way to the exit of the Hospital Wing. Severus settled back into his chair, leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

A/N- End of the chapter, much shorter than the past chapters. I'm not sad about it, in fact, I'm happy that I'm still able to bring you the length of chapter that I was able to. Leave me your thoughts, they make me happy, make me smile, and keep me writing.

Next chapter, more D.A. meetings under new teachers and Voldy wants a meeting.

Love,

Alicia


	37. Chapter 37

A/N- I hope this chapter finds you all well. You continue to astound me with your love and support for this story. I'd like to send a shout out to Hermione Lyra Malfoy for giving my next story idea. It's an original that I've never read before so I'm excited to give it a go. You'll have to stay tuned for the end of this fic to get the dish on the new one. There's no way in hell that I could concentrate on two stories at once, lol. We're nearing the end of this story, only thirteen more chapters to go. Hope it's been as great of a ride for all of you as it has for me.

Disclaimer: None of this story belongs to me aside from the personal twist on the plot. Everything else in this story has been done before and everything original in this story belongs to J.K.R.

Chapter 37

March 15, 1996

Severus cursed his father for his inopportune timing. He had never been summoned by his father during dinner before, but Severus supposed that there was a first for everything. What Voldemort needed must be important. He quickly made his excuses to Septima and Remus as he stood and sent a look the Headmaster's way that would surely alert him to his true whereabouts that evening. He hoped that he would be back in time for the D.A. meeting that night. He had promised Hermione that he would come and teach a lesson on offensive magic.

Following the fall of Umbridge, as the students were calling it, the Headmaster had been at a loss as to who to call in to take over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He had hailed the Ministry for help and when they had turned up nobody, Albus had put forth Remus' name for consideration. Even his status as a werewolf didn't keep Fudge from telling Albus to hire him. While some of the Slytherin students were unhappy about his return, they were the only ones.

Remus had instantly binned Umbridge's plans and began rigorous training to catch the students up on the things that they would need to know for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Severus and Minerva had stepped in to help, teaching on the side during the D.A. since they weren't able during the school day. While not many of the students liked either professor, there were no doubts in their minds that both Minerva and Severus were brilliant at defense.

The fact that the curriculums were so behind where they should be is the only reason that the D.A. continued to meet after Umbridge was gone. While they could learn during their class period, there was just too much to learn in that short span of time. Everyone, including the Slytherins, were encouraged to attend the meetings if for no other reason than to pass their tests at the end of the year.

Severus strode through the corridors until he reached his corridors, so he could retrieve his mask and robes. Merlin only knew what his father needed or who was with him. It would only be appropriate for him to wear his usual dress while attending meetings. After his belongings were retrieved, Severus made his way to the Entrance Hall. He usually hated leaving by way of the Entrance Hall because it was so open and public but since it was dinner it wasn't crowded at all.

After exiting the castle, Severus made his way across the grounds quickly. His father hated to be kept waiting and while he was sure that Voldemort would forgive him, it was in his favor not to anger him at all, especially since he wasn't sure what the wizard wanted from him. Once he reached the front gates of Hogwarts, he waved his wand and they swung open, leaving him free to leave the grounds and apparate.

Once he landed from apparition, Severus noted that he was once again at Malfoy Manor. Even though the Dark Lord had wealth untold, he refused to get his own manor. He insisted on using Lucius' home. Severus was unsure if this was a reward or a punishment, but he could say that he was thrilled that his father didn't have somewhere to call home, so he wouldn't be encouraged to stay. Most would consider him a traitor for feeling that way, but Severus just couldn't make himself care.

Severus marched up the familiar gravel drive of Malfoy Manor until he reached the enormous doors that led into the house. He knocked a single time before the door swung open to reveal Mipsy, cowering as usual. The elf beckoned him inside and Severus tried to give the elf a reassuring smile. She gave him a timid smile in return and then gestured for the drawing room.

Severus ambled towards the drawing room, not wanting it to seem that he was in too much of a hurry to get there. He had no idea who was on the other side of that door and he didn't want someone other than the Dark Lord to think that he had rushed over. He was the boss' son, so to speak, and that had earned him a bit of leeway.

Once inside, Severus found that his father was most certainly not alone. Lucius was present, seated quietly just a few feet from his father, along with Thoros, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and the Carrow twins. Severus fortified the shields in his mind. He had a feeling that he would need them intact tonight. He didn't drop to his knee as he usually did, but Severus bowed his head as he spoke.

"Father. I came as quickly as I could." His father gave him a semblance of a grin.

"Welcome, Severusss. I'm happy to sssee that you could make it." Severus raised his head and met his father's eyes. He felt a gentle probe on his mind but nothing like it had been in the past. It seemed that with his daughter's loyalty, his father was beginning to trust him wholeheartedly. Severus could only smile inwardly. It would help them win in the end.

"Yesss, I wanted to sssee you. I need to make plans regarding our future and that can't be done without Issabella." Severus narrowed his eyes.

"What kind of plans?" His father looked like he wanted to use his wand on him but refrained.

"We need to discussss key players for the light ssside that need to be killed." Severus bowed his head in deference. He had a feeling what his father was going to want but wasn't going to act like he knew a thing.

"You would like me to bring her here at the earliest convenience?" His father nodded.

"Of courssse. We're going to take over the world, it's her birthright to know exactly how that isss going to happen." Severus wasn't sure that that was all there was to it, but he couldn't deny his father what he wanted.

"I shall bring her at her earliest convenience. It may be a few days since Umbridge was sent to Azkaban and she's trying to help other students with their studies." His father's eyes narrowed, and it was clear in his gaze that he wanted to curse Severus. However, he didn't dare because he knew that his granddaughter wouldn't approve. Severus was surprised, however, at his grandfather's words.

"Tell me what happened with Umbridge." Severus was unsure how the Dark Lord hadn't heard the news. No, he hadn't brought it to his father's attention, but he was quite certain the Headmaster had sent an owl to Thoros Nott about the treatment of his son by a Ministry official. It was quite clear that either Thoros hadn't been notified by the Headmaster or he hadn't notified the Dark Lord.

"My lord, she was using a blood quill on the students in detention. My daughter discovered that the Weasley twins were causing trouble to keep the attention off all the small children. She came up with a plan that would provide proof to the Ministry that she was using inappropriate means to subdue the students." He took a deep breath and by the way that Thoros was staring at him, he knew that the man was unaware of his son's punishment, meaning that Albus had lied to him.

"Thoros didn't tell you, Father?" The question was clear in his voice. All eyes swung to Thoros and the older man looked irritated.

"Why would Theo have told me anything about Umbridge?" Severus quickly turned his eyes back to his father.

"Albus didn't tell him. Merlin, I should have assumed that he wouldn't, I should have known better." His father's eyes flashed but he didn't appear to be angry with Severus.

"Just tell usss what happened, Severusss." His father's voice was low, and he knew that he meant business. He bowed his head once more before he continued.

"Isabella set a trap for the toad. They've been holding a little dueling club for a few weeks now and Theo and Draco attended. She had a first year Gryffindor drop the location of the meeting. When she crashed it, she didn't waste time with explanations, so she was unaware that Hermione had followed every school rule by obtaining professor's permission. The awful hag slapped Hermione hard enough across the face that she bruised and bled and then she turned her wand on Theo because he wouldn't abandon his sister. She used the Cruciatus on him. It was only a minute later that Hermione disarmed the witch and used the very same spell on Umbridge that she used on Thoros. She also had a muggle device on her that recorded everything said. The sneaky little witch deleted Umbridge's screams, but not Theo's. Fudge agreed that she needed to go to Azkaban after Hermione demanded it. Dumbledore was supposed to notify Thoros in his duty as Headmaster but apparently that didn't happen." Much as he expected, Thoros stood and cast a violent spell at a statue head of Merlin in the drawing room. He shot spell after spell at it until it finally blew up before them. Lucius sighed as though it was precious, but Severus knew that the wizard simply wasn't looking forward to explaining it to Narcissa. His father's voice was deadly when he spoke.

"That witch ssstruck my granddaughter and you did nothing about it?" Severus continued with trepidation.

"The Minister and his aurors were already on their way when she informed me. If I had had more time I would have made them pay properly. Now the witch is in Azkaban and there is little I can do." His father considered him for several seconds before he relented.

"I sssuppose you're correct. She can no longer work at the Minissstry. Still, I think that a ssstronger punishment is due. All my Death Eaters will be notified that if they are caught and sent to Azkaban, their new mission is to make sure that Umbridge diesss." Severus bowed his head in deference to his father's wishes but Thoros was far from done.

"What retribution do I receive? It was my son that was tortured by that bloody bitch. What do I get?" Severus saw his father's eyes flash once more.

"You get the knowledge of knowing that my granddaughter protected him. She stopped the curssse and made sure that Umbridge made her way to prison. It isssn't my place to apologize to you for Dumbledore not sending you an owl but that blame also liesss with your son. He could have informed you just as easily. Maybe you should turn an eye to your home life and wonder why he didn't feel comfortable telling his father that his ssssister had to save him from an Unforgivable." Severus was just waiting for the fallout from the Dark Lord's words, but it never came. He could barely believe it. When his father turned his way once again, he met Severus' eyes and spoke.

"Tell Isssabella that I have a mission for her if she is interested in proving her loyalty. I know that she can't do anything that would give her away, but I have faith that she could accomplish thisss." Severus felt cold dread settle in his heart.

"I thought you said that you would never demand a show of loyalty from her." His father tipped his head at his words, acknowledging that they were the truth.

"I did say that, and they are ssstill the truth. However, her people would trust her more if they had something to judge her by other than her ssstellar bloodline." Severus felt his blood run cold at exactly just what her father wanted of her. She would have no chance at following their wishes if she didn't gain their approval in this first. The last thing he had wanted was to bring Hermione further into the war, but it seemed that there was little to no choice now.

"I shall bring her to see you, Father, in three days' time." His father gave an approving nod.

"I want her matessss here as well." Severus needed the answer to his question but dreaded asking it. His father seemed to realize that and chuckled.

"I'm no stupid enough to threaten her matesss. I just want extra motivation. If she rejectsss my offer, I will do nothing. I gave her my word, after all. This is sssimply a chance at sssomething more." Severus felt himself breathe a little easier at his father's words.

"I will bring all three of them in three days' time. I'm sure that she will be most excited to help further our cause." His father grinned at him in the best manner that he could. In the next second, he was turning his head to face Thoros Nott.

"Do not despair, Thoros, your son has gained the protection of my granddaughter. She will protect him from those that seek to harm him." Severus saw the wizard's eyes bulge in anger but then relaxed when he didn't want the world to see his reaction.

"Yes, my lord, I'm most grateful." Severus wanted to snort at the obvious lie but there was nothing he could do about it now.

"I haven't spoke to you in a couple weeks, Severus. Our attacksss on Wessstminster Abbey and London Bridge were sssuccessful. Thousandsss of muggles died but the Order of the Phoenix arrived. There was no possssible way that they could have known my plansss, you had to have told them." Severus knew that there was no wiggling out of this one. He would have to lie and hope that the Dark Lord believed him.

"I told them nothing, my lord. I would never betray you in such a way." His father's eyes flashed, and Severus felt a sharp prod against his mind, searching for a way in to find the truth. Since the Dark Lord was unaware that he knew occlumency, he only pushed as hard as he had to to believe that he was telling the truth. His father smiled at him once he became aware that he was staring at him.

"I know you told them. You will sssuffer the consequencesss." Severus fell to his knees at the pain that flitted through his subconscious. His father had never had a problem using the Cruciatus anytime before on him, regardless of the fact that he was his son. This time was no different. He suffered the curse in silence, a feat that near to impossible, but Severus had perfected it over the years. As long as the curse lasted, Severus focused on the thing that made him the happiest in the world, reminding him of just why he had to stay strong. Hermione flitted through his mind and while he didn't want her to be present in such situations, it was her memory that made him able to keep silent. When his father finally lifted the Cruciatus, Severus heaved a deep breath.

"Don't disssobey me again, Severusss." He didn't answer his father, not even so much as a nod because it would have been admitting guilt. That would surely have meant death. He rose unsteadily to his feet and met his father's gaze bravely.

"I will bring my daughter and her mates to you in three days' time." His father chuckled quietly.

"You're free to go, Ssseverus. Don't forget my lesssson today." Severus didn't even favor him with a nod. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the drawing room, quivering with the aftershocks of the Cruciatus. He caught Lucius' eye and while it was clear that his old friend wanted to speak with him, Severus just wasn't up to it.

He left Malfoy Manor with little fanfare. Nobody was even aware that he had been there aside from those that had been in the drawing room. Mipsy let him out as she always did, a small smile on her face when she received a nod for her efforts. Severus glanced at his pocket watch, realizing that there was only twenty minutes time before he was due to teach for the D.A. He heaved a sigh. He would have just enough time to hurry to his quarters and get a nerve suppressant before he was due in the Room of Requirement. He hoped that nobody realized that he wasn't quite up to par. It was imperative that Hermione remain in the dark about what happened today with her grandfather.

Severus apparated from outside the gate of Malfoy Manor, landing just outside the gates of Hogwarts. He made his way across the grounds, hurrying to get to his quarters before he was due in the Room of Requirement. He entered the castle and glared at anyone who dared to stare at him. All the students quickly turned their gazes elsewhere and Severus continued on.

When he reached his quarters, he went directly to his bathroom, the potion he was looking for being in the bathroom cupboard. He found the electric blue concoction and swallowed it down. While the tremors that wracked his body died down, they didn't disappear completely. He would hide them the best that he could, there was no sense in scaring all the students, but he was almost certain that his daughter would notice.

Severus left his quarters and started for the seventh floor. Usually the trek wasn't too difficult even though it was eight stories, but the aftereffects of the Cruciatus made it much more difficult. Even though he had left with plenty of time to get there in a punctual manner, Severus was still a few minutes late as he paced the corridor in front of Barnabas the Barmy. When he entered the Room of Requirement, everyone turned his way, clearly surprised that he was late.

Severus acted like he didn't see them, striding to the front of the room where Lupin was standing. The werewolf watched him carefully, clearly aware that there was something wrong with the Slytherin. His daughter watched him walk and even though he did his absolute best to hold back the tremor as he walked, it was impossible. He turned to face the students and he saw that his daughter's face was hard.

-O-

Hermione was so much happier now that Umbridge was gone. While she didn't care about being hailed as a hero by getting rid of the toad, she most certainly enjoyed the fact that Remus had returned to teach. The werewolf was still her favorite D.A.D.A. professor they had had and the fact that he was now making a steady paycheck made her happy. She knew how difficult it was for him to make a living in the real world since there were so many prejudices against his kind.

Hermione understood that prejudice. She fully believed that the people at large were correct to be wary of Remus, of any werewolf really. They were dangerous, and they could kill. What she disagreed with was the fact that the people believed that this was the truth every day of the year when in reality it was only one day a month. People needed to be made aware of the fact that werewolves couldn't harm anyone unless they were transformed; there was a potion that allowed them to keep their minds during that one night as well.

Hermione had always wanted to be an advocate for the magical beings in their world that were oppressed. While she had realized that house elves would surely die without a bond to someone, that didn't mean that they weren't able to be treated better. After dealing with Kreacher, it was clear that the little creatures loved to serve. Hermione simply wished for them to receive better treatment while they did so.

Werewolves, goblins, and centaurs were treated no better.

While Hermione's plan for life were to gain a mastery in several subjects, she hoped that she would be able help those in need in some way. She knew that many called her a bleeding heart and she tended to agree with them for the most part. That didn't change the fact that the changes she wanted to bring about were what was right.

The students were thrilled to continue with the D.A. They were even happier to know that while Harry had done a wonderful job, they were also being taught by several different professors to reach the level of skill they would need to pass their O.W.L.s. Hermione had no idea that they were so far behind, but she really should have expected it. Since she was what everyone considered to be a know-it-all, she wasn't as far behind as most of their peers but even she had some work to do before she could pass her end of year exams.

Hermione had convinced her father to teach the lesson that night. He had only taught one so far and it had been a rousing success even though the students had been scared to death. Professor McGonagall and Remus did a wonderful job, but the fact remained that her father had the most practical knowledge of fighting the dark arts.

The Gryffindor dragged her two mates along with her to the seventh floor, hoping to be the first there to open the Room. Even though the professors were aware of how to access the Room, it was always better when Hermione or one of her boys accessed it. Remus conjured a room that was close to what they were used to, but Minerva conjured a room that was almost identical to her classroom. Not that Hermione didn't love the Transfiguration classroom, but she liked learning Defense in their own version of the Room.

They did indeed beat Remus and Minerva there, leaving Harry to be the one that called forth the Room. Hermione entered and went straight to the bookshelves in the back, the ones that she loved to raid for information regarding defense. Draco and Harry chuckled at her before turning to talk quietly amongst themselves. She was currently making her way through Dark Arts, The Way Forward. While some of the photos were gruesome, Hermione still found it to be an interesting read.

Other students began to file in and group together, so they could chat quietly. Hermione had watched her father leave dinner that night, hand clutching his left arm surreptitiously. She knew that her grandfather had summoned him, but she hadn't had a chance to speak with him about what. She simply hoped that he wouldn't be too long, and he would still be able to teach them.

Remus and Minerva both appeared, and both looked worried. She could only hope that her father appeared quickly. Remus called the students to order and split them into pairs, so they could practice the spells they had learned the last time. They were ten minutes into their time together when the door opened, and Severus strode through, looking as though he wasn't late for the first time ever. He walked to the front of the Room and made eye contact with Remus and Minerva. Hermione watched him closely and for a moment she thought that he was fine until she saw a fine tremor run through the entirety of his body.

The Cruciatus.

Hermione would never forget what those tremors looked like since she had seen them on occur on her brother. It was clear that someone, possibly her grandfather, had used the Cruciatus on her father. Hermione tried to fan the flames of fury as she watched her father begin his lesson. He covered the jelly-brain jinx and the oppugno spell, both of which Hermione had already mastered two lessons before.

Harry and Draco made their way to her side, clearly upset at the fact that she was watching her father so closely. The Slytherin didn't look her way once and she couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was hiding something from her. She watched him carefully for the duration of their lesson, the tremors showing through occasionally. Hermione knew for a fact now that he had suffered the Cruciatus and that he had taken the same potion that Madam Pomfrey had fed Theo to hide his condition.

The lesson lasted right at an hour and a half. To be honest, she was surprised that her father had made it that long. Once he dismissed class, Hermione made her way to the front, Harry and Draco flanking her. He was talking quietly to Minerva and Remus, about what she wasn't sure. She waited impatiently for him to acknowledge her. When he did finally turn her way, Hermione was unimpressed.

"I need you three to follow me to the Headmaster's office." Minerva and Remus both turned and led the way, Hermione scowling that her father seemed unwilling to give her any information. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't think I don't know what's wrong with you. I'll never forgot those tremors after Theo." Her father wouldn't meet her eyes and she knew in that moment that she was right. Someone, most likely her grandfather, had used the torture curse on her father. She didn't wait for him to speak; she turned and followed Minerva and Remus, both her boys following her silently. The silence didn't hold, however. On the sixth floor, Draco took her hand and spoke softly so as nobody would hear.

"I understand why you're angry. Keep your calm so you don't end up dead." Harry nodded sagely, backing his best friend. Hermione knew that they were right but at the moment it didn't matter. She wanted justice for her father and she would stop at nothing to achieve it.

"I won't do anything until I know the truth." The two boys shared a worried look between them, but she didn't let it affect her. She didn't want to worry them, but they had to realize that she wasn't going to allow her grandfather or anyone else treat her father so callously.

The six of them made their way through the castle, traversing the corridors and staircases quickly. They were all silent and Hermione was quite certain it was because they knew exactly what had happened to her father. When they reached the Headmaster's office, they bypassed the griffin and ascended the stairs. Dumbledore was seated in the chair behind his desk and his eyes were twinkling as they all entered. With a wave of his wand, the Headmaster conjured enough seating for them all before the fire, gesturing for them all to take their seats. Once they were all settled, the Headmaster opened the discussion.

"What did you learn tonight, Severus?" Her father steepled his hands under his chin as he thought about what he wanted to say. Hermione was certain that he was finding a diplomatic way to get around admitting that he was tortured.

"My father is demanding that Hermione and her two mates be brought before him. He wants her to undertake a mission to prove her loyalty to the cause." Dumbledore's eyes were no longer twinkling, in fact, his eyes were sharp and dancing.

"I thought that he said that he would never demand a show of loyalty." Severus nodded his head.

"That's what I asked him. He told me that she isn't required to take the mission, but she would gain more respect from his followers if she did. For some reason, he wants them to judge her on more than the fact that she is his heir." Dumbledore began to stroke his beard as he contemplated her father's words.

"Did he give you any idea as to what the mission would be?" Severus shook his head.

"He didn't say. He only told me that if she did it right it wouldn't blow her cover." The Headmaster sighed.

"That doesn't tell us much. When does he want to see her?" Severus raked a hand through his hair.

"Three days' time. I told him that I could do that." Hermione didn't have to ask about her father because Minerva beat her to it.

"Did you refuse at first? Is that why he used the Cruciatus on you?" Her father stiffened and shot his colleague a dirty look.

"No, I told him that I would bring Hermione and her two mates before I was tortured." Hermione was furious, and she needed to know more.

"Why did he torture you?" Severus shook his head, indicating that it wasn't important.

"It doesn't matter. There is nothing to do about it at this time." Hermione cleared his face of emotion it was clear to the others that she wasn't Hermione Granger at the moment, she was Isabella Rose.

"Tell me why he tortured you or I will look in your mind and find the reason." Fury flashed in her father's eyes at the threat, but he remained calm.

"You won't break into my mind because you know that I would hold it against you. Don't make decisions that you can't take back." Hermione smirked his way.

"You're my father and I will protect you as such. I take care of those that belong to me and as much as you hate to admit it, you belong to me. You're my father and I will allow no harm to come to you." Her father looked less than impressed at her words.

"Hermione, I knew what I signed up for when I became a spy. I knew that I would be the one to take the fall if my cover was ever blown." Hermione cocked her head to the side and met her father's gaze. Everyone was simply watching the situation unfold, nobody brave enough to step between father and daughter.

"He thinks you're a traitor." Her father wilted at her words. He buried both his hands in his hair and sighed.

"He doesn't think that I'm a traitor, he found no proof in my thoughts. He was under the assumption that I told the Order about the attacks on Westminster Abbey and the London Bridge. The Order's presence didn't go unnoticed." Hermione considered his words.

"Were you specifically told to keep the attacks a secret?" Her father nodded wearily, and a tremor wracked his body again. Hermione stood and sat next to her father, so she could take his hand in hers.

"I'm going to take care of this. This will not happen again." Severus shook his head.

"You mustn't interfere. We're too close to the end to throw a wrench in things now." Hermione squeezed his hand.

"Trust me, I won't fuck this up. But I promise you, this will never happen again." Hermione could see that he hated the idea of her protecting him, but he didn't fight her. Whether it was because he was secretly grateful and that he knew that he was no match for her, Hermione didn't care. Now that her father had capitulated, she turned her gaze to the Headmaster.

"You knew that he wasn't supposed to tell you and you still sent the Order, throwing him under the bus. You don't care in the least about what my father has to suffer through." Dumbledore held his hands up to stop her words.

"I do care but you expect me to let hundreds of muggles die?" Hermione waved her hand furiously, silencing the Headmaster.

"I expect you to make the hard decisions that a leader has to make. I don't want all those muggles to die but I don't want to lose this war. You've said yourself that if you lose your spy you'll lose the war. Yet you just endangered his position." Minerva looked shocked at her words.

"Surely, Miss Granger, you can't expect us to just stand aside and do nothing. Those muggles don't deserve to die." Hermione turned her gaze to her mentor and her gaze softened slightly.

"I don't want to let all the muggles die but hard decisions have to be made during war. I love muggles but think of all the muggles that will die if my grandfather takes over. Maybe that makes me a monster but at least I'm realistic." Harry shook his head.

"Nobody thinks you're a monster. It's just hard to accept the hard truths of war." She could see that he shot a dirty look at the room at large but nobody said anything to contradict him. Hermione released the spell on the Headmaster before she spoke again.

"We do not make another move that will expose Severus. I am fine with doing what we can to prevent loss of life, but I'm not going to let you hand my father over to the enemy. He's our main source of information and we can't lose him."

Hermione had to give it to the Headmaster, he looked chastened at her words. He gave her a brief nod before he spoke again.

"I apologize, Severus. I never meant for this to happen." Hermione watched as her father gave the Headmaster a brief nod of acknowledgement. She broke the silence that fell.

"Is that all he had to say?" Her father shook his head.

"No, he was most displeased by the fact that Umbridge struck you. He has an order out to all Death Eaters that if they are caught and remanded to Azkaban, their primary objective is to kill the hag. I, for one, won't be crying crocodile tears over her loss." Hermione snorted at her father's words but remained silent.

Dumbledore took over the preliminary plans for the three of them going to Voldemort in three days' time. Hermione let them. She focused her attention on what exactly she was going to say and do to her grandfather when she next saw him. The treatment he had given her father wouldn't stand and she didn't care if they had to break away from him to get the treatment he deserved. She really didn't want to pull all four of them out of her grandfather's confidences, but she would do what she had to do. Truthfully, she didn't think for a second that her grandfather would do anything else to jeopardize Hermione's placement on his side.

It was thirty minutes later before Dumbledore stood and dismissed the group. Hermione knew that she wanted to speak with her father, but she also knew that he needed rest. Therefore, once they were on their own in the corridor outside of the griffin, Hermione turned his way to see his weary body turn hers.

"Hermione, you must not do anything about this. We can't afford to die at this point of the game." Hermione chuckled at his words before moving forward to embrace her father around the waist.

"You also told me that I should bow and scrape before him, but he tends to like that I refuse. He likes knowing that his heir is powerful. Trust me, he's going to know just how powerful I am. I'm going to come up with a plan to make sure that this doesn't happen again." Her father mopped his hand down his face while Harry and Draco watched from several steps away.

"Please trust me, Hermione." She went to her tip toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"I do trust you, I trust you with my life. Now, you need to trust me. Do you really think I would something to deliberately end the alliance between the four of us and my grandfather? Not to mention, I think he'll do whatever I say if I stay on his side of the war with him. He fears me and, in this case, it's going to work in our favor." Her father raked his hand through his hair before turning her way again.

"I really wish you wouldn't." She chuckled softly as she reached up to fix the hair that he had mussed.

"I know you don't, daddy, but I have to do this." He gave her a sharp look.

"Don't make me regret trusting you." She took his hand in hers once more and squeezed.

"I won't. Now go to your quarters and get some rest. It did wonders for Theo." Severus chuckled at her mothering but let it stand. He kissed the top of her head and started for the staircase that would take him to the ground floor, in turn taking him to the dungeons.

Hermione allowed herself to be pulled towards the opposite staircase by her boys.

-O-

Draco was flabbergasted. He couldn't believe that his girlfriend had threatened her father with entering his mind without his permission. He didn't think for a second that she would do it, but it had sounded good and had elicited the response that she wanted.

He knew that McGonagall looked at his girlfriend like she was a monster but that couldn't be the further from the truth. If muggles died because she chose not to save them, she would be saddened. She would feel guilt for not saving them. This didn't change the fact that she was able to make the difficult decisions that needed to be made to ensure their victory. Losing Severus would be like losing the information highway and there was no way that she could sacrifice that and hope to win against her grandfather.

He knew that she was going to have to come up with a plausible excuse for how the Order was present for the attacks. It was true that she knew how to create false memories, but Voldemort would never enter her mind for fear of angering her. That meant that it would have to be him or Harry and since Harry was the one destined to kill the evil wizard, Draco was sure that he would have to be the one to produce those false memories. They could play it off that the Order was following Thoros and both Lestranges, maybe even some other key Death Eaters. If they didn't have a solid plan, Voldemort would never believe that his son was innocent.

Hermione might claim that she didn't want to endanger the alliance that she had with her grandfather, but Draco knew differently. He knew for a fact that if she felt that her grandfather would pose a threat to the three of them or Severus she would pull out without a second thought or regret. She cared about everyone in the world, that he wholeheartedly believed, but he also knew that those who belonged to her came first. He couldn't fault that; he was the exact same way.

Draco quietly pondered the situation while they made their way back to the Room of Requirement. He knew that Harry and Hermione were conversing quietly about who only knew what, but his mind was elsewhere. He was worried that Hermione's impulsive nature would ruin this for them all. It was true that she wanted to save the world, but she still had enough lion in her to act without thinking if there were enough emotion involved.

Harry paced the corridor, striding confidently as he made the entrance to the Room appear. The three of them entered once the door was visible and Draco let his shoulders slump. Harry noticed his actions and shot him a questioning gaze, but Draco remained silent. Harry was as much an impulsive Gryffindor as Hermione and he would probably take offense if he told the two of them that it was likely to get them all killed. Hermione watched him quietly and when he met her eyes, he felt like her gaze was searing into his soul.

"What's wrong, Dray?" He loved it when she shortened his name. He wasn't sure why since he had always hated it when girls called him Drake, but with Hermione it was different. He raked a hand through his long blond hair.

"We need a plan to make this work. You can tell the Dark Lord all you want that Severus isn't the traitor but if he believes him to be we won't get any more information. You can bully him into not killing him, but Severus won't be available to further information because the Dark Lord will exclude him. You're right, he'll do what you want to keep you on his side, but that doesn't mean that he'll tell Severus anything of import if he believes him a traitor."

Hermione began slowly stripping off her clothes, a contemplative look on her face. Once she was in only her knickers, she perched on the bed and cast a look at both Harry and Draco.

"What do you think we should do?" Draco began to strip his clothes, not speaking until he was in his boxers. He noticed that Harry had followed his lead.

"I think that we need to frame someone. Not anyone from the Order but from the Death Eaters. We tell them that there were orders from Dumbledore to follow the Lestrange brothers, Nott, the Carrows, and several others. That way it doesn't seem like it's a fake story. He won't dare enter your mind, but I should be able to provide a fake memory showing him that the Headmaster assigned this task and that was why their missions weren't a complete success." Hermione began shaking her head.

"No, I won't let you take that chance." Draco shook his head irritably.

"You have to. He won't enter your mind and you know it. Harry is the one that is destined to kill the bastard, he must be above reproach. If Severus had known this information, he would have already provided it to the Dark Lord. I can show a memory of myself spying and discovering the information. I am the only one that can do this and pay the price if he discovers that my memory is false." Hermione started crying and Draco felt terrible, but the truth was the truth. She was able to say that muggles should be sacrificed to keep Severus as a spy, she should be able to realize that they needed Draco to provide the cover story.

"You're not taking that chance, Draco. You're going to play stupid and I'm going to think of something." Draco gave her a deprecating smile.

"I'll agree to that if you come up with something better in the next three days. Otherwise, it's happening. You can't bully me like you do the Headmaster." Hermione stopped short at his words.

"I would never bully you." He snorted at her words. It sounded inelegant but there was nothing for it.

"You would, and you know it. If it meant saving my life you would bully me into submission or threaten me, whichever worked better." Hermione looked at the floor and Draco knew that he had her. He didn't expect Harry to speak up.

"We'll come up with something else. I agree with what you're saying, we need to cast the blame elsewhere, but I don't want to risk you unless we must. We'll search for other options while Hermione brushes you up on creating memories. She can test you better than Snape or Dumbledore ever could." Draco nodded his agreement. It wasn't as though he wanted to face the Dark Lord with a false memory, he was just the only logical person to do so.

Hermione shifted closer to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. She held him tightly while he rubbed his hands soothingly up and down her spine. He held her for several minutes before she finally nodded into his chest.

"You're right. We'll do our best to come up with an alternative solution, but I will be testing you ruthlessly until then." Draco nodded even though she couldn't see it. He bent and kissed her forehead again, making her tears fall harder.

"I don't want to die, Hermione. I want to have a full and happy life with you and Harry. You're my best friends and I would die for you." He expected her to cry even harder, but she didn't. In fact, she did the opposite. She stopped crying at all. His girlfriend reached down and rubbed his cock through his boxers, instantly making him hard. She lifted her head to capture his mouth with hers and he couldn't help but groan at the movement. When she pulled away from his mouth, she moved his lips to her ear.

"You don't have to do this. This isn't' goodbye." She bent down and nipped the skin on his collarbone.

"No, this isn't goodbye. It's thank you for being so fucking brave." Draco lost himself to the sensations that Hermione was causing in him.

She was straddled on his lap, rubbing her hot pussy along the length of his cock through their underclothes. Her mouth took his once more and possessed it a way that he had yet to experience. Her tongue battled with his for dominance, and even though Draco considered himself an alpha male, he gave up his dominance and let her run the show.

Once she realized that she was in charge, Hermione bent and began pressing sucking kissed to his shoulders and chest. Draco really wasn't sure that he could survive her onslaught; he had never let a female take control of him. He really didn't see it lasting for the whole of the evening, but he would do the best he could for as long as he could.

Her tongue laved his nipples, nipping at the areas surrounding them. Draco felt his cock grow impossibly harder and he did his best to allow her to be in control. He had never given complete control to a woman and he had no intentions of doing so today. Letting her have this was just another way to make her happy. Draco say back and enjoyed the attentions that she showered on him, doing his best to let her remain in charge until the last possible second.

It was difficult when she bent to take his cock in her mouth, toying with the head with her tongue. He was aware that she knew what she was doing, and she was enjoying it while she could. Therefore, he didn't feel too badly when he wrapped his hand in her hair and began thrusting deeply into her mouth. He thrusted for a full minute, wishing that he could just relieve himself in her mouth, but he didn't want to leave her high and dry. His fingers twisted in her hair and he thrust one last time into her mouth.

When he pulled her mouth off him, he did his best to focus his efforts on her. It didn't work, however, since she straddled him once more and took it upon herself to sit on his cock. He had never had a witch ride him since he was more comfortable being in charge, but Hermione seemed to understand that.

"Fuck me, Dray." Her words were heaven to his ears.

Draco didn't hesitate to start driving himself up into her. He had never fucked in this position, but he found that he liked it. It was the illusion that she was in control, but he was the one that held her hips steady and refused to let her meet his thrusts. She was forced to submit to him and he reveled in it.

Draco drove himself deep into her pussy, making sure that he hit every pleasurable spot on the way. He wasn't soft and gentle with her and to be honest, he really didn't think that she wanted him to be. Hermione had always been one that seemed to love when others were in control and he attributed that to the fact that she was in complete control of every aspect of her life. Hermione dug her nails into his shoulders as she struggled to hold on, struggled to keep up. He refused to relent on her and forced her into mindlessness and she achieved her orgasm.

When her inner muscles clenched tight on his cock, when the tried to pull him deeper inside her, Draco relented. He exploded inside her, painting her cervix with his seed. It was in this moment of coming down that he glanced over at Harry and watched him bring himself to release with his hand. Once his mess was left all over his stomach, he grinned at Draco and Hermione.

"That was so fucking hot. I've never came to something like that but that was amazing." Draco withdrew from Hermione and laid down next to her. She was breathless, and Draco was unsure that she would even make it out of the bed to clean up. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and she laid a hand on his chest.

"That was amazing, Dray. I can't remember feeling like that." He gave a self-satisfied smirk. Harry kissed her shoulders in response.

"Next time, I'm fucking you while Draco watches." Draco felt a thrill of pleasure rush through him. He loved watching Hermione and Harry together. She chuckled softly, her eyes closed.

"Whatever you say, Harry. I always leave satisfied, I trust the both of you."

Draco and Harry snuggled into their girlfriend and they both grinned happily when she dropped off to sleep almost instantly. Harry caught his gaze over Hermione's shoulder.

"You really think you can pull this off?" Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I want to say no but I don't see the Dark Lord trying too hard to break through my defenses if Hermione is there. He knows that she'll take it as a threat if he does. If the memory is believable, I think I stand a fair chance at making it out alive." Harry seemed to consider his words.

"I would agree with that statement. I'm just worried about what will happen if he doesn't believe you and attacks your mind. Being Hermione's mate will only protect you for so long." Draco felt a frisson of fear flow through him.

"I know, that's why I want her to coach me on false memories. Not that Severus didn't do a great job, but Hermione is better. She can tell me what I need to work on." Harry nodded as he kissed Hermione's shoulder again.

"You know that was hot as fuck, right? I love watching you two fuck." Draco chuckled.

"I know. I love watching you two as well." Harry chuckled and there was silence for several minutes. When the Gryffindor broke the silence, it was in reassurance.

"Get some rest. She isn't going to take it easy on you until she's one hundred percent sure that you're going to survive." Draco grinned at his best friend's words.

"Goodnight, Harry." Harry laid a hand on his waist briefly before pulling it away.

"Goodnight, Drake."

Draco listened to his best friend fall off to sleep. He was sure that he could fight any spell attempted on him and if he couldn't, Hermione would never allow him to be swayed. However, there were no harsh spells out tonight to take his attention from his family. He had to concede to himself that he considered Hermione and Harry his family. He pulled Hermione even closer and nuzzled her neck with his mouth.

After several kisses to the soft skin of her shoulder, he pulled away and kept watch. He wasn't sure that he could trust others even though he was in the Room of Requirement. Until he was sure, he was going to keep watch and do his family proud. It was man hours later that he finally dropped off and by that time Harry and Hermione were both stirring. Draco fell asleep with a grin on his face. He would keep his family safe no matter the cost.

A/N- Another chapter down, bitches. I've enjoyed writing this chapter even though it wasn't too terribly interesting. Next chapter should be a different story. Anyone want to take a guess at what her objective is? Anyways, I hope that you all enjoyed my chapter and will leave me some love. Reviews = love.

Next chapter, meeting with Voldy and she finds out what her assignment is.

Love,

Alicia


	38. Chapter 38

A/N- Thank you all for being patient about the amount of time that it has taken me to get this chapter published. My daughter had major foot surgery and the little free time that I do have has been directed her way. Her surgery was a success but is in a fair bit of pain, as to be expected. To everyone that continues to support this story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm pretty excited to write this chapter, for me, it symbolizes the beginning of the end. Enough for now, let's get started!

** Special thanks to SereniteRose for being my 1,000th reviewer. You da bomb, girlfriend! **

Chapter 38

March 19, 1996

Hermione couldn't help but feel just a little bit nervous. She wasn't worried about her grandfather hurting her or her mates, that would just be folly on his part. She knew that her grandfather was blind to the fact that she was deceiving him, but he still wasn't a fool. Hurting Harry or Draco certainly fell in the foolish category. What she was nervous about was Draco showing her grandfather a false memory of Dumbledore telling other Order members to follow Death Eaters, clearing her father's name.

Hermione had coached Draco, ruthlessly testing him for hours upon hours in the last three days. He was good at the skill when she started, her father had seen fit to train him in the art, but it wasn't good enough for Hermione to feel comfortable with her boyfriend lying to most evil wizard of their time. He had suffered her tutelage well and without complaint. Not trying to toot her own horn, but his skills had become even more honed.

Just in case, Hermione had also insisted that Harry train under her as well. While she hoped that Draco would be enough to prove the point they were going to make, there was always the distinct chance that he would look inside Harry's mind for the memory as well. He had been a little less enthused about the extra training, but he had capitulated with no complaining. He had also become more proficient, but he wasn't nearly good as Draco was. She chalked that up to experience. Draco had been taught from birth to mask his emotions whereas Harry had not.

Hermione had wished that she could come up with another option to the whole problem but her formidable mind had come up with nothing. She berated herself internally, but the fact remained that Draco was going to have to volunteer to have the Dark Lord enter his mind to prove Severus was innocent, so he could continue to gather information. It made her sick inside to willingly put her mate in danger, but she consoled herself with the thought that her grandfather wouldn't probe too hard since he feared angering Hermione.

The Gryffindor was employing all her Slytherin tactics today and not informing her father of their plan. She knew that without a doubt, Severus would kick, scream, and throw a fit for them to not follow through and tell them that he wasn't important enough to lose their alliance over. While moving her father out of the spotlight was a plus, Hermione could honestly say that his well-being wasn't the only motivator. They really did need the information that her father brought them and if her grandfather felt that he was a traitor and untrustworthy, he would no longer receive any information.

Hermione was in a beautiful set of witch's robes, a royal blue that made her eyes pop. Her long ebony curls were pulled up in an up-do that Draco had helped her with. She looked very elegant and poised, exactly the look they were going for when they faced her grandfather. Both Harry and Draco were dressed in robes as well, Draco in charcoal grey and Harry in bottle green. Hermione could hardly pull her eyes from them.

Draco held her hand while Harry had a hand on the small of her back as they led her through the corridors. While the boys received confused looks as to their dress, Hermione did not. She had remembered to put a set of school robes over her witch's robes, hiding the fact that they were going to be off school grounds. The boys could easily tell everyone that they were trying to impress her or some such rot.

They reached the griffin that guarded the Headmaster's office and it leapt out of the way before they could step up to the door. Hermione chuckled inwardly. Apparently, the Headmaster was eager to send them on their way, so he could discover what it was that the Dark Lord wanted his granddaughter to do. They allowed the stairs to descend and move them upwards towards the office door. Once they were in front of the door, Hermione took a deep breath and entered, Harry and Draco directly behind her. The Headmaster was seated before the fire, her father facing him in his own armchair. Both stood when the trio entered.

"Ahh, good evening Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Potter. I hope that this evening finds you in good spirits." Hermione was unsure as to why the Headmaster was being so formal, but she dismissed it from her mind. She dipped her head in greeting before turning to her father.

"We need to go, Dad, we don't want to be late. The quicker we go, the quicker we can return." Her father nodded but Dumbledore held his hand out, gesturing for them to wait a minute.

"I want to implore you, Hermione, to not be foolish. Do not act rashly just because you are sure that your grandfather won't cross you. He was powerful before he had you and he will continue to be so if you anger him and he kills you. Mr. Potter will be in the same room and it would only take one killing curse sent his way for him to win this war. The prophecy states that Harry is the one that must end him. Do not endanger his life needlessly." Hermione bowed her head for a moment. Even though it was a bold-faced lie, she reassured him.

"I don't plan to act rashly. Every move I make will completely calculated. I will not needlessly endanger our mission." Her father narrowed his eyes at her, catching her wording. He opened his mouth to speak but Dumbledore cut him off.

"Very well, Hermione, we will have to take your word for it." She dipped her head once more at the Headmaster before she turned to the door. Her father huffed behind her, a rare show of emotion that showed her just how frustrated and frightened he was. She felt guilty at the heart attack that she was sure to give him that night, but she tried not to think about that. She needed to focus on what was to come. The Gryffindor couldn't help but notice that Draco looked distinctly guilty.

The four of them left the Headmaster's office and traversed the corridors quickly. There were very few students out since there were more patrols than normal. It was a Saturday night and she figured that most of the students were holed up in their common rooms at the moment. It would be later in the evening that they would attempt sneaking out.

After leaving the castle by way of the Entrance Hall, the four of them began their trek across the grounds. Even though it was nearing the end of March, it was still cold at night. Hermione was in robes with student robes over the top, but it was still cold enough outside that she couldn't hold back a shiver. Harry noticed and waved his wand over her, a warming charm making her warm and toasty all over. She flashed him a grateful smile as they neared the gate. Once they passed the barrier to the school, her father turned to meet their gazes.

"I ask you again, Hermione, do not be foolish. You made clear three days ago that you were going to step in because of the torture that my father inflicted upon me. I ask you not to do so. We can't take the chance." Hermione stepped forward and hugged her father around the waist. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and his lips pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"I won't endanger our mission, Dad. I can't let this treatment stand though. Please trust me, I haven't messed it up yet." He sighed and released her, allowing her to step back. He shook his head at her as he spoke.

"You're going to be the death of me, sweet." Hermione chuckled softly at his words as she took his outstretched hand. Draco was on his other side and took his godfather's forearm while Harry grasped the professor's upper arm on the same side as Hermione. With a quick twist, they disappeared and reappeared in front of the gates of Malfoy Manor.

Hermione was surprised to find that while side-along apparition had bothered her to end when she first tried it, she had quickly become used to it. It didn't seem to phase her at all anymore and the same seemed to hold true for both of her boys. Hermione removed her school robes and shrunk them, handing them to Harry to hold in one of his robe pockets. He stuffed them in his inner pocket and fell into line behind her.

Severus led the way, striding purposefully down the gravel drive towards the house. Hermione fell in behind him, arms relaxed at her side, while both her boys flanked her. They reached the house and with a short knock, the door swung open to reveal Mipsy. She cowered as usual and Hermione ached for the abuse she must surely suffer in a house full of wizards that thought they were better than everyone and everything. The diminutive little elf pointed them in the direction of the ballroom and Hermione wanted to groan. Her grandfather was going to make a spectacle of the task he had for her.

Hermione let her father lead her as he had done on the other occasions she had visited. The ballroom was full of Death Eaters in fine dress and Hermione found herself glad that she and her boys had dressed appropriately. This also made Hermione wonder if this was a party or a meeting. The Death Eaters parted like the sea before them, all of them staring at Hermione, her father, and her two mates. Some were in obvious awe while others had clear looks of loathing on their faces.

They approached her grandfather and Severus gave him a deferential bow of the head before moving to stand behind him as he usually did. The Death Eaters fell in around them and Hermione was unsurprised to find that her grandfather waited until they were all gathered around before he spoke to Severus.

"You aren't to be trusted, Ssseverus. Get down there with your brothersss." It was clear that Severus hadn't been expecting that, but he was quick to obey nonetheless. Hermione watched the proceedings with emotionless eyes until she turned to meet her grandfather's gaze.

"Isssabella Rose, how lovely that we meet again." Hermione didn't react. She stared back at her grandfather with a cold gaze.

"What is the meaning of this? You dare to dishonor your blood?" Her grandfather reared back like she had slapped him. His eyes flashed, and she could see that he wanted to lash out, but he stayed his hand. He sneered her way.

"I sssee that he didn't inform you that the only reason he isss still alive is because he isss my blood. He passed information to the Order that I ssspecifically told him not to. That brandsss him a traitor." Hermione cocked her head to the side.

"Just what did he pass on to Dumbledore? I'm intrigued." Thinking that she was leaning his way, a satisfied look crossed his as spoke.

"He informed the old fool that we were going to attack Wessstminster Abbey and the London Bridge. The Order wasss there and did their best to stop usss." Hermione couldn't help but smirk. Her grandfather looked confused for half a second but quickly hid it.

"You have no idea how wrong you are." The anger in his eyes flashed again and when he spoke, it was low and menacing.

"You dare to question me, Isssabella?" Hermione laughed at him. Not an amused chuckle, but a full-on laugh. Death Eaters were staring in horror as she continued. She could see her father out of the corner of her eye and looked equal parts horrified and terrified. Her grandfather, forgetting himself in a fit of rage, raised his wand at her and shot a spell her way. She was unsure as to what it was, but it was clear that it would have taught her a lesson. She wandlessly cast a shield, deflecting his own curse back at him. Her wand appeared, and she quickly waved it towards her grandfather, employing the same curse that she had used on Moody when he had become too vocal about his opinions regarding her father. She made sure that she used her wand to not let on to the fact that she really didn't need it for anything anymore.

Her grandfather began to grasp his throat, pulling at the invisible force that was cutting off his air. Several Death Eaters stepped forward, wands in their hands, but did nothing. It appeared that they were too frightened to do what it took to save their lord. Nagini was curled at her master's feet and she moved to strike at Hermione. Severus began stepping forward and even though she didn't want to give away that she could understand and speak parseltongue, she knew that it was the only way to save herself and her father.

"Ssstop now, or I ssswear to Merlin that I will kill your massster." The whole room went silent and still, in complete shock that Hermione could understand the snake. Nagini went still and lowered her head in a show of submission. Hermione released the spell on her grandfather who instantly started gasping for breath. The snake slithered closer to her and Hermione could feel the curiosity in the snake's gaze. Hermione had a feeling that this snake was a horcrux, so she really didn't want to make friends, but it wouldn't do to make an enemy of the beast.

"Master'sss young can ssspeak to me. I thought that Massster was the only one." Hermione hissed back at the snake while her grandfather recovered.

"My magic wasss blocked as a small child and this was one of the talentsss that was suppressed. It's a relatively new ssskill." The snake wrapped itself around her feet and she could feel it's tongue flick against her ankles, making her fight the urge to laugh at how much it tickled.

"Young Missstress is ssstrong. A friend to the sssnakes." Hermione gave a slight nod at the snake before turning her attention back to her grandfather. He was no longer gasping for air and though his eyes were still flashing in anger, his wand was stowed away. Hermione slid hers back inside her robe pocket, thanking Merlin that even though she had held her wand, she had performed the spell wandlessly. It wouldn't do for her to get a notice for underage use of magic.

"If you attack me again, I won't release the spell. I have come to you in peace, I have joined your side, I want no part in leading. I came tonight because you had need of me for an assignment. Do not take me for weak. If you attack me or mine again, I will kill you." Her grandfather sneered her way but remained silent. The entire room was silent, none of them wanting to anger her further. Hermione took this as her opportunity to speak.

"While I understand your need to punish traitors, I would be the same way, my father in no traitor. He is constantly putting Dumbledore off your plans, I have witnessed it. In fact, the cause of the Order being at those attacks were in no way related to my father. I have proof." Hermione heard her father breathe in sharply and she knew for a fact that she would pay for this whole scenario when she returned home.

"Presssent your proof and if I find it true, your father will return to my ssside and be my sssecond-in-command once again." Hermione gestured for Draco to step forward. Even though she could see how nervous he was, he stepped forward with no fear. He was trusting her to keep him safe.

"Draco was wandering the corridors one night when he was unable to sleep. He didn't wish to wake Harry or I so he made his way to the kitchens to get a snack. Along the way, he found Dumbledore speaking with several Order members in an abandoned classroom, the door cracked with no silencing charms. I can only assume that they thought it was safe since it was far past curfew." Hermione took another deep breath before continuing.

"Dumbledore was telling them that he suspected that my father had turned his true loyalties our way and was withholding information. He couldn't prove it but assigned Moody to follow Nott and Kingsley Shacklebolt to follow Lestrange. The Order members that were there were all assigned a Death Eater. Once they discovered that there were indeed plans that Severus hadn't reported, they stepped in and tried to stop the plans. Draco will let you view his memory of the event. I had planned to inform you of this information today, but you have apparently already taken your anger out on my father when he had no idea as to what was happening." Her grandfather looked intrigued rather than angry now. He gestured for Draco to come forward and the blond met the gaze of her grandfather. Draco showed no fear and she could see his determination in his frame.

It took several minutes for her grandfather to view the memory and when he withdrew from Draco's mind, he looked up to meet Hermione's gaze. She arched a single brow at him before he turned to Severus.

"Doesss Dumbledore still trussst you or is ssspying for me pointlesss now?" Her father slid his expressionless mask on before answering.

"He took me aside after the attacks, the day after I last met with you in fact. He told me that he suspected my true loyalties were with you because I hadn't informed him of the attacks. I told him that you hadn't informed me of the attacks, that you had only spoke with Rodolphus and Thoros because you didn't want their plans to be foiled. While he was rather triumphant that he ended your plans of complete destruction, he also believed me. Like you said, he is an old fool." Her grandfather stared at her father for a long time and she could only assume that he was searching his mind for the memory. She hoped to Merlin that her father was more than adept at creating false memories on the fly. When he finally relented his stare, Voldemort gave a semblance of a welcoming smile even though it looked more like a grimace.

"Come ssstand at my ssside again, ssson." Severus was quick to comply, and she could tell that he was relieved. Her grandfather turned to his followers to speak.

"You will listen to Ssseverus as you did before. My granddaughter speaksss the truth." There were whispers throughout the room before someone from the back yelled out.

"You're going to let her show you disrespect, my Lord?" Hermione glanced from side to side to make sure that Harry and Draco were close enough to protect if someone hurled a curse their way. Nagini flicked her ankle with her tongue before moving closer to Harry and Draco.

"Don't worry, young Missstress, Nagini will protect your matesss." While she knew that her grandfather and Harry could understand her, she was quiet when she hissed back a thank you. Her grandfather went to his feet, now fully recovered from the spell she had used on him.

"My granddaughter doesss not ssserve me, she standsss by my ssside. I attacked her, and she protected herssself. She is the only person that will ever get away with that bold move. Consssider yourselvesss warned." Hermione finally favored her grandfather with a smile.

"Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way and my father is back where he should be, we should get down to business. My father informed me that you have a task that you would like me to do." The Dark Lord took his seat once more and Nagini slithered back over to curl around his feet protectively.

"I have you, Isssabella, Draco, Harry Potter, and all of the Ssslytherins in Hogwartsss backing me. While the Order is annoying, and we could continue to ssswat them down, I would much rather just take them out of commission. Severusss tells me that sssome of the members are leaning more towards our ssside since they have discovered your lineage. Black and the wolf for ssstarters, McGonagall as well. It would be nice to sssway them to our side and take out what'sss left of the resssistance."

Hermione wasn't sure what to say since her grandfather hadn't made his plans known, he had simply rambled about what he wanted to do. She had been sure that the mission wouldn't be something that she could break her cover doing but this sounded large scale. She clasped her hands together in front of her and cocked her head to the side to show her interest. Her grandfather took her actions to show that she was interested.

"I want you to kill Dumbledore."

Excited chatter broke out around the room and Hermione couldn't blame them. She was floored and had no idea how to respond. Harry and Draco both stepped forward and laid a hand on each hip, showing her silent support. Even her father, the master at showing no emotion, widened his eyes a little and his breath hitched. Hermione cocked her head to the side.

"Why me?" Her grandfather stood and made his way over to her, so he could reach out and cup her cheeks in his hands. Hermione wondered for a moment if he was going to try to strangle her but was happy to say that he just stroked her cheeks for a moment.

"I would assssk Severusss, but the fact remains that Dumbledore is ssstill more powerful than he isss. I can't lose my ssson to a lost cause. I am more than a match for Dumbledore but lack the ability to get to him. You are both clossse to him and powerful enough to take him down with little to no effort. I wasssn't trying to kill you when you had that spell on me, but the fact remainsss that no other wizard has even gotten that clossse to taking me down." Hermione forced herself to remain still while her grandfather continued to stroke her. Even though it made her skin crawl, she met his gaze and refused to flinch at the red color staring back at her.

"If I refuse?" He let his hands drop and made his way back to his seat. He didn't answer until he was seated once again.

"I told you when you joined my caussse that I would require nothing of you. You are free to refussse. I will do nothing in retribution. I would just like to point out that while most of my Death Eatersss hate you now, if you snuffed out the beacon of the light, they would revere you asss they do me. You could gain their favor and they would ssserve you happily, not because I tell them to."

Hermione wanted to curse. He was right and there was no other way to look at it. His plan of attack was brilliant. Her grandfather really did see Dumbledore as the only obstacle stopping him from ruling the world. Harry appeared to be on his side, Hermione and Severus were planted firmly behind his lines, all the Death Eaters would follow him to death. Sirius and Remus were rumored to support Harry and Hermione, not Dumbledore, same with McGonagall. He was quite sure that they would follow to the dark side if Hermione and Harry did. It was sad to say that that was probably true. Dumbledore truly was his only obstacle.

It also made sense to have her kill the Headmaster. Severus would instantly be a suspect and if he had an iron clad alibi, the Order would have to continue to trust him to spy. Hermione could pull it off to where nobody would know that she was the one behind it and she knew that that was what her grandfather was hoping. The Gryffindor also knew that what he had said about gathering support among the Death Eaters was true. They would never respect her until they had seen the contribution from her. That would only happen if she fulfilled her grandfather's request. While she wanted to tell the Dark Lord that she didn't care if his followers followed her willingly, she knew that that would blow her cover. As the granddaughter of the Dark Lord, she should want nothing more than to be respected and revered. Taking as deep a breath as she could without it being obvious, she spoke.

"Do you want me to keep my cover or do you want me to blow it?" Surprisingly, he shrugged his shoulders.

"I really don't care. Once Dumbledore isss dead, there won't be any reassson for you to hide your identity to the massesss. We'll take over the Ministry quickly without Dumbledore ssspeaking against usss at every turn. If McGonagall can bring herself to ssswitch sidesss, she can take over the school and run it as I sssee fit. However, if you want to ssstay anonymous for a little while afterwards, that isss acceptable as well. It would be nice to know what the remnantsss of the Order are planning."

Hermione knew that she had no choice but to accept. She would blow her cover if she didn't and he just told her that it could be however she wanted it to be. She doubted that he would care if the death was bloody or a poison if the outcome was the same. She felt both her boys' hands tighten marginally on her hips as she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and responded.

"I accept. I will return to school and come up with a plan and return to let you know the details." Her grandfather stood once again and raised his arms in the air. Hermione wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he looked but she refrained. He stepped forward and laid his hands on her shoulders, so he could turn her to face the crowd of Death Eaters behind them.

"The heir of my heir will bring the opposssition to it's kneesss and we will sweep in and take over the world." Even though Hermione could tell that the cheers were forced, there were plenty of cheers. Broad smiles graced the faces of those closest and looks of doubt from people further back. Hermione made sure to hold her head high and glare at anyone that dared to meet her eyes for too long. When the cheers died away, her grandfather announced to the room.

"Let the party commence. There isss celebrating to do." For a brief moment, Hermione was scared to death that it meant another revel, so she was relieved when music started and elves appeared with trays of food and drink. An actual party, while not something that Hermione really wanted to attend, was something that she could handle. The Dark Lord's hands tightened for a moment on her shoulders before leaning down to press a kiss to her shoulder. Hermione was repulsed at the inappropriate act but remained silent.

"Go meet your people, Isssabella." She gave a resolute nod before stepping forward and meeting the crowd at large.

Her boys followed behind her and they started to mingle around the room. They were first stopped by an older man that Draco introduced her by the name of Edward Greengrass.

"My pleasure to meet you, Miss Riddle. I've heard lots about you from my daughters Daphne and Astoria. They have only good things to say, of course." Hermione gave him a polite smile.

"Yes, I know both your daughters although Astoria is a few years younger. They're both lovely young girls." Hermione wanted to gag saying this, but she didn't. While she didn't personally like Daphne because of her history with Draco, the girl had never done anything malicious to Hermione. It had always been Pansy that had tormented her, and she attributed that to the fact that she had her eyes on Draco and that was how Draco treated her.

Hermione didn't linger long with the man before pushing onward. Next was Gregory Goyle, Sr. and Callum Crabbe. They welcomed her into the fold and told her that they hoped their boys were treating her well. Hermione relayed the story of the younger Greg Goyle standing up for her to Ronald and he seemed pleased. They were much more pleasant the Greengrass had been and she wasn't sure why.

She continued her rounds through the Death Eaters, snacking on hors d'oeuvres that the elves served her as she walked. Hermione lost track of everyone that she met and while she knew that most of them really didn't like her, there were those that seemed genuinely happy to see her there. Peregrine Parkinson stood out as one of the Death Eaters that didn't like her at all and she wasn't surprised in the least.

The biggest surprise of the evening was when she came face to face with Oliver Wood. He had been the quidditch captain Harry's third year and she had thought that he was planted firmly on their side of the war. That couldn't have been the case since he was in attendance and only those with Dark Marks were allowed. He bowed low over her hand, pressing his lips to her knuckles in a show of respect. When he stood up, there was genuine surprise in his gaze.

"Miss Riddle, imagine my surprise at seeing you here, being related to the Dark Lord no less." She arched a brow at him even though she wanted to curse him.

"Imagine my surprise at seeing you here when you played the perfectly loyal Gryffindor in school." Oliver chuckled darkly.

"Oh, at the time, I was exactly what I portrayed to be. My father was approached last year by Lucius Malfoy to join the Death Eaters. He was only vaguely interested when the Order crashed their meeting and tried to kill Malfoy. Instead of Malfoy being killed, my father was. Mad-Eye Moody had no remorse for what he had done, he told me that if my father was going to join, his death was justified. I joined the Death Eaters a week later to get revenge for what happened to my father."

Hermione couldn't believe his story. It was equal parts tragic and heartbreaking and Hermione almost teared up at the thought of Moody callously killing an innocent man, one that hadn't fully committed to the dark. The worst part was that she could see it all in her minds eye, she could hear the sneer in Moody's voice. Even though she felt sorrow at Oliver's story, she had a part to play and was going to play it to the best of her abilities.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Oliver. Hopefully you find the vengeance you seek." He bowed over her hand once more before stepping away and letting her continue with her mission of mingling.

Hermione was content to let Draco lead herself and Harry around, introducing them to those that he saw fit. He knew everyone in the room and it was in this moment that she realized that Draco had been raised to be a Death Eater. He had been groomed from birth to live in this world and he had been more than happy to throw it all away, so he could date her. It touched her even more than it had before because she realized that he would have been throwing away his entire life for her.

The trio had been mingling for almost two hours when Draco led her over to his father's side. Hermione had been surprised to see that Narcissa wasn't present, but Draco had assured her that she wasn't marked so she wasn't allowed at tonight's event. Lucius had bent low over her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles like many others before him had. When he stood, Hermione favored him with a genuine smile.

The Gryffindor was unsure as to why she liked Lucius so much. It was true that he had done horrid things to many people. He had abused Draco as a child. He had raped an untold number of women. This couldn't stop the genuine affection that she had for the man. The older Slytherin had been raised to be the monster that he had become. His father had done the same unspeakable things to Lucius that he had in turn done to Draco and he had followed every rule set before him to a tee. Until Mara.

Hermione couldn't explain how touched and heartbroken she was at the story that Lucius had told her of his young muggleborn love. He hadn't even been aware that he loved her until she was gone and to lose her in such a violent way that he witnessed himself had been the final action that warped him into what he was today. There were unspeakable things that she knew he had done but Hermione had compassion for why he did the things that he had done. She understood all too well about wanting to forget the pain.

It was clear that he loved Draco and would do whatever he could to keep him safe. He had thanked Hermione for keeping him unmarked and had turned his back on her grandfather for no other reason than he wanted Draco safe. She knew that the power in such a union with herself and Harry played a big part, but she wouldn't judge him for that. Hermione truly thought that even if she was just a lowly muggleborn, even though he wouldn't have liked it, Lucius would have stood behind Draco and his choices. His voice started her out of her thoughts and he smirked at her when she realized that he knew it.

"I'm happy to hear that you're well after your exciting weekend." Even though there were people around, there was nothing untoward that could come from the words he had spoken. It was clear that her father had told Lucius that they had indeed went after the horcrux and that she had been injured.

"It was some rough couple days, especially the inquisition I faced afterwards, but it was worth it." More code that irked her, but it was necessary.

"I'm happy to hear that you will be ridding us of Dumbledore and the problems that he poses to our way of life." She smirked at him this time.

"It will be my pleasure." Lucius turned to the boys and gave them both nods of respect.

"Draco, Potter, it's good to see you in my home. I hope to see you all here more often come summer." Again, his meaning was clear. He hoped that they would both feel comfortable enough to visit once the Dark Lord was gone. Hermione wasn't opposed to the idea. If she ended up marrying Draco and Harry, the Manor would probably end up being their place of residence since Draco was the Malfoy heir. Lucius once again turned to Hermione but kept his eyes to Harry as well.

"We should invite Sirius Black one day soon for dinner. It would be nice to have him onside and I know that Narcissa would love to reconnect with her cousin. There aren't many members of the Black family left anymore." Harry nodded in the affirmative.

"I think he would like that. He's been wanting to reconnect with his family for a year or so now, especially since the truth of his innocence came out." Hermione couldn't help but to ask the question that had been bugging her since she had heard Lucius' story.

"How has Narcissa taken the fact that Draco is now linked with two half-bloods?" There was nobody near them, so Lucius didn't mind speaking candidly.

"She isn't enamored with the fact, but she won't complain. Narcissa wants Draco to remain unmarked and if you can make that happen she won't ever have a bad word to say about either of you." Hermione gave him a thoughtful nod.

The Gryffindor had had several conversations with Lucius and not even one with Narcissa. She wondered if that bothered the older woman or if she was happy to sit back and let others handle the problems as they came. Vowing to get to know the woman alone once this war was over, Hermione smiled at Lucius.

"I understand. The last thing I want is for Draco's mother to be angry with him because of Harry and I." Lucius chuckled and was about to speak when Severus appeared behind her and broke in.

"I hate to break this up, but we really must get back to the castle. The last thing that we would want is for Albus to realize that you're all gone. It would be very hard to come up with an excuse dressed as you all are." Lucius reached out and took her hand once more, bowing low over it. When he released her, he held his hand out to Harry and he didn't hesitate to shake his hand. The older blond clapped his son on the shoulder and gave him a quick smile.

"Take care, Draco, and make sure that you do well in class." Draco, silent to this point, nodded at his father.

"Yes, father, I'll make you proud." Hermione was certain that there was a double meaning to that as well, but she couldn't be sure.

Her boys wrapped their arms around her waist and steered her to follow Severus. She could see the tension in her father's spine and she knew that she was in for a tongue lashing once they returned to the school. Her father led them back to her grandfather and where he was seated in his throne. Nagini lifted her head and tasted the air with her tongue.

"Missstress mussst come sssee me again." Hermione bent to pat the snake on the head, which then turned to a stroke.

"I'll return, Nagini. Thank you for protecting my matesss." The snake tasted her fingers before hissing back.

"Anything for Missstress." The Dark Lord rose from his throne and started forward until he was only inches from Hermione.

"How long have you been able to ssspeak to snakesss, sssweetling?" Hermione made sure that every barrier in her mind was erected as she let him gaze into her eyes.

"Since the block on my magic was destroyed. I came upon a snake in the Forbidden Forest and had a lovely conversation with her." Her grandfather smiled at her, clearly pleased with the development.

"Nobody can deny that you belong to me, Isssabella. I wish that I had passed the talent on to Ssseverus, but it just wasssn't meant to be. If you need any help planning your assssassination, go to your father for help. He had been inssstructed to help you in any way that he isss able." Hermione really wanted to tell him that he didn't need to be ordered to help her, he would have done it for her regardless. Instead, Hermione bowed her head for a moment and looked back up at him.

"Yes, grandfather. I'll make you both proud." His hand reached out and tugged on one of the errant curls that had escaped the hairstyle Draco had used on her.

"I'm already proud, sssweetling. You are a ssstunning witch and you will rule this world at my ssside once your mission isss complete." Hermione did her best to keep an innocent look on her face.

"I don't wish to rule, grandfather, I just want to keep my family and my mates safe." An odd look passed through her grandfather's eyes.

"Am I included in that array of people?" Hermione wanted to fucking puke on him, but she choked down the bile that threatened to come up and land on his bare feet.

"Of course, you are, silly. You're my grandfather." As fake as the words sounded to Hermione, her grandfather bought them hook, line, and sinker and seemed inordinately pleased.

"Do thessse two boys know how lucky they are to have won your affectionsss?" Hermione gave him a genuine smile now.

"They tell me they are every single day." She turned to make sure that her boys weren't listening in on the conversation. She was going to drop a ball in her grandfather's court that would make sure that they were never harmed on his order.

"I love them, grandfather. Merlin help the person that ever decides to hurt them. Bellatrix will look like child's play next time." Her grandfather threw back his head and laughed. Everyone in the room turned his way and stared incredulously until he got himself under control. He reached out and stroked the skin under her right eye.

"You are definitely mine, Isssabella Rossse. Viciousss and vindictive when it comesss to those that we care about. Your father is the same way." It scared her to think that she had anything in common with her evil grandfather, but she had to admit that he was right.

"I shall come see you when I have a plan. Father says that we must go now before Dumbledore realizes that we are all off school grounds." Her grandfather leaned forward and pressed a dry and scaly kiss to her forehead before stepping back.

"He'sss correct. I look forward to your plan, sssweetling. Until then…" He stepped away from her and Hermione let out a small breath of relief as he returned to his throne.

Severus held his arm out for Hermione to take so he could escort her out of the room. She wrapped her hand around his elbow and made sure that Draco and Harry were falling in behind her. The crowd of Death Eaters parted for them once again and Hermione let out a sigh of relief once they had left the ballroom and the doors were shut firmly behind them. Mipsy appeared and ushered them to the front door, bowing low as she did so.

Hermione shivered as they made their way up the gravel drive. She wanted to stop and ask Harry for her student robes, but her father made it clear that they weren't going to be stopping. Therefore, she cast a silent and wandless warming spell on herself, hoping that it would last long enough to get her back to the warmth of the school.

It would be clear to a deaf and blind man that Severus was angry with her. He refused to even look at her and was nearly dragging her through the gravel. She stumbled once, and she heard him snort in annoyance. Her heels didn't make anything easier and he should have realized that it wouldn't make her walk any faster.

Once the gates were closed behind them, he refused to release Hermione's hand. In fact, Harry and Draco had barely grasped ahold of him before he was twisting into the now familiar tube of apparition. Hermione didn't even fully have her balance before her father was pulling her through the gates of Hogwarts. The warming charm was already wearing off and she was shivering.

When he started off again before she had her footing, Hermione stumbled and fell to her knees. Since her father had her hand in a death grip, he ended up dragging her several feet before he stopped and scowled at her. Her robes were ruined, she was freezing cold, her ankle was surely sprained, and her knee was scraped. On top of everything else that had happened that night, Hermione was on the verge of tears. Her father, on the other hand, exploded.

"Get up! You don't get to play the damsel in distress and cry now!" Even though she hadn't been crying, now she couldn't help but let a few fall down her cheeks. She struggled to go to her feet and when she put a little weight on her right foot, she cried out in pain. Without waiting for her to say anything, Severus started off again. Once again, she fell to her knees when her ankle refused to bear her weight. Her father once again stopped and scowled at her.

"Quit milking this. You're fine. You are not going to get out of me being livid with you." Finally having enough, Harry stepped forward and in between Hermione and Severus.

"Let her go right now." Her father sneered at Harry.

"What makes you think I'm going to listen to you, Potter?" Hermione was trying to struggle to her feet. Draco stepped forward and started to help her while Harry stepped closer to Severus.

"You're going to let her go because no matter how mad you are at her, you're hurting her. There is something wrong with her ankle and she can't walk. If you want her to end up hating you, keep treating her like an abused puppy. Otherwise, let her the fuck go so I can carry her." Hermione didn't have to see her father's face to know that he was not only sneering but glaring as well. Rather abruptly, he released her hand and she fell into Draco who had still been trying to help her to her feet.

Draco was quick to scoop her off the ground and hold her close to his chest. Even though she hated showing weakness in moments like this, she burrowed into his chest and relished the warmth of him against her. She couldn't keep her teeth from chattering, catching the attention of Harry. Severus stalked off ahead of them and Harry withdrew her robes from his pocket, enlarged them, and tucked them around her before casting another warming charm on them. Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and nuzzled him as he carried her through the grounds. Harry reached over occasionally and stroked the skin of her neck, and finally at the castle steps, pulled the pins from her hair, letting it tumble free down Draco's arm. Draco came to a stop since her father was long gone. Harry pressed a soft kiss to the skin beneath her ear.

"I'm proud of you, Hermione. You were great back there and even though Professor Snape is angry at you now, I know he's proud of you too. Let him cool off and all will be well." Hermione reached behind her and clenched Harry's hair in her hand while she gripped Draco's neck tighter.

"I'm proud of you both. We accomplished what we set out to do and there were no casualties. Draco, you especially did wonderful with your memory." She felt him shrug.

"I was scared to death, but he didn't try very hard. He could have pushed a lot harder, but I think that he was scared to piss you off by that time." Hermione chuckled for a moment and Harry held the doors to the castle open. They passed through and found the castle completely empty, a welcome sight for the trio. When Hermione spoke again, her voice was quiet and laced with worry.

"What if he doesn't forgive me? We all know that he hates reckless behavior, that's why he doesn't like Gryffindors. What if what I just did was unforgivable?" Hermione's eyes watered at the possibility. She shook her head and tried to clear the thoughts out of her mind. Even if he hated for the rest of her life, it would be worth it. Keeping him safe had been the main motivator of her actions, she wouldn't deny that. The fact that he was also now secure in his place among her father's ranks was an added bonus. Harry reached out and stroked her neck softly.

"He's going to forgive you. You scared him tonight, that's why he's acting this way. He thought that he was going to lose you and it scared the holy fuck out of him." Hermione nodded against Draco's chest as they started to make their way through the corridors to the Headmaster's office. They didn't speak the rest of the way, but Hermione didn't mind. She needed a few minutes to compose herself before she met the judgement of the firing squad that her father had surely erected for her.

The griffin leapt out of the way as it had earlier that evening and the trio allowed the stairs to carry them up the stairs to the final door between them and the rest of those that had surely gathered to listen to her story. Harry opened the final door without knocking, the others were surely aware that they were on their way up there. When they walked through the door, Hermione was surprised at what she saw.

Not only were her father and Dumbledore present, so were Professor McGonagall, Remus, Sirius, Kingsley, Arthur, and Moody. She could only assume that the Headmaster had summoned them all because he suspected something about the horcruxes would be discussed. Even though the wizened wizard had thrown a fit about including them in the information at first, he now had no problems summoning them when he thought the subject might surface. When the group caught sight of the trio, Professor McGonagall gasped.

"What happened to Hermione?" Even though Draco was clearly not going to throw his godfather under the bus so to speak, Harry had no problems with it. The man already hated him, so Hermione was sure that he figured he had nothing else to lose.

"Her father was dragging her so fast across the grounds that she stumbled and fell. I'm pretty sure that she's sprained her ankle." Dumbledore held his hand up and gestured for them to wait. Remus stood and gestured for the trio to sit down on the free couch before the fire, Hermione in the middle. Once she was settled, her dirty robes now on display for the whole room, he knelt before her and lifted her robes to show a nasty scrape to her knee as well.

Remus gently removed her heel to reveal a swollen ankle, already purple. Hermione wasn't worried. Remus was quite adept at healing since he often had to heal himself after his transformations. He fixed her nasty scrape in a trice and then turned his wand to her ankle. Nobody spoke against her or Severus while Remus set about healing her; she was surprised to say the least. The Gryffindor felt her ankle mending, a quite uncomfortable feeling if there ever was one, and flashed the werewolf a grateful look when he turned her sideways across the couch, so she could lean against Harry and lay her foot across Draco's lap.

"You need to keep it elevated for the night. Take it easy for the next couple days but it should be fine by Tuesday as long as you don't re-injure it." She sent a grateful smile his way.

"Thanks, Remus, I really appreciate it." He tugged one of her curls before sitting back down next to Sirius. The Headmaster clapped his hands together a single time to gain the attention of everyone in the room.

"Severus has been silent as to how the meeting went. We would like the whole story." She met the gaze of both Harry and Draco and they both gestured for her to take the floor, the one thing that she was quite certain she didn't want to do. Her actions were sure to start a fight and that was the last thing that she wanted to deal with right now. After heaving a sigh, she began her story.

Her story took the better part of an hour and though she tried to keep it brief, it just didn't end up that way. There were gasps and angry outbursts through the whole thing but every time they started to try to argue with her, Hermione went silent and refused to speak until she could do so in silence. Once the whole story had been told, Hermione fell silent and gestured that someone else needed to take over the floor. To her surprise, Professor McGonagall stood and made her way over to Hermione, so she could pull her into a hug.

"You dear, sweet, brave girl. You put yourself on the line to protect your father and you also solidified your position at the same time. Bravo, a true Gryffindor at heart." Her father snorted behind her transfiguration professor, but he didn't speak. Sirius also made a show of getting up and bowing at her feet.

"Nobody has the balls you do, poppet. We could all take a lesson from you." The rest of the room gave a chuckle or two before Sirius went to his feet and took his seat by Remus' side once more. It was Moody that broke the silence now.

"Putting the psycho bastard in his place is one thing, agreeing to kill the Headmaster of your school is a completely different thing. Just what were you thinking, missy?" How did Hermione know that Moody would be the one to complain about her taking the task of killing Dumbledore? She signed and rubbed her temples in an attempt to dispel the pain that was starting to manifest there.

"If I hadn't taken the task, it would have ultimately blown my cover. I'm supposed to be playing the part of someone that wants to follow in her grandfather's footsteps, even if it's not in such a bloody manner. I'm still supposed to want Voldemort to win and if I don't agree to do whatever I can to help make that happen, it looks suspicious. I'm not sure what else you wanted me to do." Kingsley stepped in before the aged auror could dig himself a deeper hole.

"You did what you had to, Hermione, and it was commendable. Now we can all work together on finding a way out of this." Arthur sighed and raked a hand through his thinning red hair. Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the motion.

"What's wrong, Mr. Weasley?" He raised his head and gave her a tired smile.

"My family, that's all. We all know just who you are, but I've kept the recent information to myself. Molly and Ronald are still determined that you are evil, that you're going to sell out our side, or kill someone important. If this information comes to light, the two of them will never stop. Nothing I say seems to deter them. It's causing quite the rift in the family since the rest of my children all seem to back you one hundred percent. Once they find out that I had knowledge of plans like these, I'll be in the same boat as you are." Hermione truly felt bad for Arthur. While she had no idea what kind of advice to give him, she did want to say something to try and make him feel better.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. Maybe you should bow out and let us obliviate you. Then you really won't remember knowing any of this information and they won't hate you." Arthur lifted his head and graced her with a soft smile.

"No, Hermione, that won't be necessary. The pair of them should be able to use their common sense and let personal issues go when it comes to the war. I'm not going to choose the two of them over the other six members of my family. They'll either deal with it or they won't but that doesn't mean that it makes it any easier. If you don't mind, I'd really like to get back to the subject at hand" Hermione gave an understanding nod before turning back to everyone else.

"Obviously I'm not going to kill the Headmaster no matter how much he makes me want to at times. We need to hurry up the process of finding the horcruxes, so we can end this. If we work it right, we can use the murder of Dumbledore to lure my grandfather in for the final battle. I'm not sure if that will work but it will be worth a shot." Remus looked contemplative as he considered her words.

"That would actually be a great idea if we could make it work. That all depends on if we can find the other horcruxes." Harry spoke next.

"I actually think that his snake might be a horcrux. I could feel presence of dark magic when she wrapped around Draco and I to protect us. We're going to have to come up with a plan to kill that enormous fucking snake." Moody shook his head.

"I still can't believe you gave up the edge of nobody knowing that you can talk to snakes." Hermione's gaze turned hard and her voice was steel.

"It was either give up the secret or let the snake attack me and my father blow his cover. I think I made the right decision." Professor McGonagall stepped in before the auror could further the argument.

"Hermione made the right decision. Don't question her judgement since she's the one who was there and none of us were." Dumbledore finally put his input into the conversation.

"While there were things that could have been handled better, things are done now and there is no changing them. We need to come up with a plan that will satisfy our time constraints, among other things. Although, I think that now is far from the best time to do so." Remus rubbed his hands over his thighs and spoke quietly.

"Lets all take a few days and see what kind of ideas we can come up with on our own. We'll get together and brainstorm and go from there. It didn't sound like he was putting a ridiculous time constraint on Hermione, so we may have a few weeks before she needs to report back." Hermione was grateful for the werewolf's words. She was exhausted and even though her ankle was healed, it was still sore. Professor McGonagall stood and made a sweeping motion for everyone to stand.

"I agree with Remus. It's already past two a.m. and Hermione has been injured. I think that waiting a few days before we meet again is a wonderful idea. Let us all adjourn." The Headmaster stood and began ushering everyone towards the door. Sirius and Arthur headed towards the floo while Kingsley and Moody dashed for the door, obviously intent on making their way to the edge of the grounds so they could apparate. Remus left behind them, bound for his own quarters, McGonagall right behind him. Hermione let Draco and Harry pull her to her feet and this time it was Harry that swept her in his arms. She couldn't help a small giggle at his actions.

"My ankle is healed. Remus just told me to take it easy." Harry kissed her forehead while she wrapped her arms around his neck much the same way that she had to Draco.

"We thought that you were going to die. Indulge us." Hermione sighed and watched as Draco opened the door that led them down the stairs to the griffin. Harry was murmuring soft words in her ears when there was a shout from behind them. Severus had followed them down the stairs and was bearing down on them, anger clearly clouding his features.

"Don't you dare walk away from me." This time, it was Draco that turned and stepped between Hermione and Severus.

"You left us out there on the grounds because you were pissed off at her. You don't get to tell her to not walk away from you." Hermione leaned forward and laid a hand on Draco's shoulder, gesturing for him to not get in the middle of it. He shot her a look but, in the end, capitulated. He stepped back, and Harry set her on the ground.

"What do you need to say, father?" She had never called Severus father. She had begun their journey together calling him Professor Snape, then Severus, and finally Dad. He reached forward and took hold of her wrist, so he could drag her into one of the empty classrooms. Though her ankle was healed, it still stung when she put weight on it. She hissed slightly as he pulled her into the nearest classroom, quickly warding both of her mates out. Hermione adopted the same stance she used when she met her grandfather: head high and chin out, back ramrod straight, shoulders back, with her hands relaxed at her side. Her father sneered her way.

"You are a fucking idiot, Hermione. Do you know what could have happened today? Do you need me to tell you?" Hermione knew that he really didn't want an answer, he wanted to rage at her, so he could feel better about the risk that she had taken for him.

"You could have died. He could have discovered the lie in Draco's mind and he would have tortured all three of you. I'm no match for my father so I would have had to watch you die. I would have had to lose you all over again and you don't even care. You say that you love me, but you don't. You're selfish and you don't care who you hurt as long as you come out on top. How do you think I would have felt if I had to watch you be tortured and die? You don't give a fuck and I'm sick of it." Even though her father had a justified reason to be angry she couldn't just stand there and take it.

"You tell me that you trust me, and you know I can take care of myself. Even though I proved it tonight you tell me that I'm selfish even though I did everything that I did for you. I couldn't bear to watch you lose face in front of all your fellow Death Eaters, I couldn't bear to hear you be ridiculed and talked about behind your back, fuck, probably in front of your face. I did this for you and you've been nothing but ungrateful. I understand that you're angry and I understand that you're not going to get over it in one night, but you could at least give me the benefit of the doubt and trust that I prepared not only myself but Harry and Draco for this evening. You don't even acknowledge what we put into this, you only want to yell, scream, and hurt me. You dragged me how far after you had sprained my ankle? I just had to face the whole of that room and admit that my father didn't give enough of a shit about my welfare to make sure that I was alright, he just kept on going so he could guarantee himself a good seat at the meeting, so he could run me in to the ground. You've done nothing tonight to show me that you care about me except for trying to get yourself killed when Nagini came after me, which I had to save your arse from as well. I may be reckless, and I may represent everything you hate about Gryffindors but at least you can't doubt that I love you. I did all of that for you, the retaining information for the war was just an added benefit. After tonight, I'm convinced that if I don't walk the line you draw for me, I'll be cast aside like yesterday's rubbish. Fuck you, Severus." Hermione hadn't been prepared for what happened next.

Her father's hand, quick as lightning, snapped out and backhanded her across the cheek. It wasn't enough to turn her head or even to bring tears to her eyes, but she knew her sensitive skin and she knew that there was a handprint on her cheek. Her father's hand traveled to her long curls, so they could take a handful in his fist and force her to look at him.

"Don't you ever say that complete and utter bullshite to me again. You have no idea how I feel, and you have no idea what it was like for me watching you face you grandfather. You don't get to make me feel guilty for being angry. If you're going to act like spoiled teenage brat, I'm going to treat you like one. From here on out, you will sleep in Gryffindor Tower and you will not see those boys outside of curfew. I will no longer provide you with contraceptive potion, you will have to learn to abstain from your abnormal sex life with those two idiot boys. You will do as I say or so help me God you won't leave the house come summer." Hermione truly couldn't control the burst of magic that poured out of her and threw her father into the wall behind him. She knew that she would feel guilty when she had cooled off but at the moment you couldn't have paid her to care. She waited until her father had gained enough of his senses back to pay attention to her.

"You don't get to tell me what to do because legally Dumbledore is my guardian. Even if he forbade me from seeing my mates, it wouldn't matter. Nobody will keep me from them. I never said you didn't have a right to be angry, I said you were handling it the wrong way. At least I'm finally acting teenaged since I've never had the option before. To be honest, it feels pretty great. You can try to tell me what to do all you want but it won't work. I'll continue to do as I damn well please. You don't respect or trust me, why the fuck should I return the favor? For the record, I never asked you to make the contraceptive potion for me. I'll make due with the charm or make it myself, I don't need you to make it." Hermione knew she was going to regret her next words but now she didn't care.

"If my sex life is so abnormal and you're so embarrassed, feel free to renounce me. It's obvious that I'm not the daughter you wanted or imagined so just cut me loose. As for not leaving your house, I won't be at your house. I'll be at Grimmauld Place with Sirius and Remus where they give a fuck about me. I never said that you had no right to be angry, but I can't deal with this shite. I'm done." She could see the pain cross her father's face, but she didn't care. He had struck her after she had put her life on the line for him and had shown her no respect or trust. She couldn't continue with this relationship if this was the way that it was going to go.

Even though her ankle was throbbing, Hermione spun on her heel and removed her father's wards. Once she was back out in the corridor, she couldn't hold back the sob that tore through her. Harry and Draco were instantly by her side and it was Harry that took her face in his hands. He saw the red mark on her face and fury lit him inside, somewhere down deep. Draco laid his hand over one of Harry's before he spoke.

"Did that motherfucker hit you?" Hermione couldn't stop the rush of tears at his words. She shook her head no even though it was completely clear that she was lying.

"It doesn't matter, I just want to go to our Room. We need to go now before he comes out here. He forbids me to sleep there with the two of you anymore." Harry didn't wait for any more words before he stalked off into the room she had just vacated. Only a minute passed before he returned and both he and Draco helped her to her feet once again. They didn't carry her but they both propped her between themselves and carefully led her through the corridors.

At her slower pace, it took quite a bit of time to reach the seventh floor from the second, but in the end, they made it. Hermione was not only emotional, she was exhausted beyond words as well. Both her boys seemed to realize this, and they used magic to change her out of her clothes and into a clean tank top and panties. She had really wanted a shower, but she just didn't see that in the cards for the night.

Hermione was in bed before she even realized what was happening. As much as she usually hated for other to take control of her life, she relished it today. She wanted nothing more than to hand over the reins to someone else and let them deal with all her problems while she slept. Both boys crawled in next to her and she sighed in complete happiness when Draco pulled her into his shoulder and chest while Harry snuggled up behind her, his arm thrown protectively around her waist.

As she drifted off to sleep, she could think of nothing more than what had occurred between herself and her father. She truly didn't understand why it had been taken to such an extreme tonight, but she had calmed enough to regret her part of it. It couldn't be one-sided; however, her father would have to want forgiveness as well. Hermione tried to avert her mind from the evenings contents; she needed her rest and it was quite plain that both her boys were going to make sure that she got it regardless of what she thought.

She smiled into Draco's chest, threaded her fingers through Harry's hand landing possessively on Draco's stomach and let her happy thoughts of her mates ease her into sleep. Hermione could only hope that there were no nightmares.

-O-

Severus was sipping his seventh glass of fire whiskey in his quarters; the fact that he was in his favorite armchair did nothing to help his current mood. He was still livid, angrier than he had ever been in his life, but he also knew that he had fucked up. He had fucked up big time and he wasn't sure that he could come back from the damage that he had done to the relationship between himself and his daughter.

Hermione couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be in his position and watch her almost get herself killed defending him, trying to make his life better. She couldn't even imagine one tenth of the pain that he had felt at tonight's revelations. However, that being said, none of his actions had been warranted and he regretted them all deeply.

He had known that she was hurt when he landed after apparition, yet he had continued to drag her for several feet afterwards, wanting to humiliate her and teach her a lesson. Severus had heard her cry out in pain when he forced her to her feet, but he hadn't cared a whit that she was hurt and freezing. At the moment it had felt justified, but not it just seemed like he was heartless prick.

Truthfully, he was a heartless prick. He had known what his actions were doing to her, he had known that she would rebel when he tried to control her actions regarding her mates, but that hadn't stopped him. He wanted nothing more than to regain control again by any means necessary and in the end, it had backfired in his face. Not that he blamed her. He hadn't been her parent her whole life and his one attempt at being one in the seven months since discovering his identity had been fueled by anger and fear. She had been right to tell him to fuck off and he didn't blame her for her actions.

Hermione had done nothing to warrant any of his actions against her; sure, he had every reason to be angry with her for going behind his back and concocting a plan, he had every right to be angry that she executed said plan without a single word. He even had the right to be angry that she didn't seem the least bit sorry, but he didn't have the right to react as he had.

Severus had struck his only daughter. When she had been born, despite pureblood upbringing depending on physical punishment, he had sworn to himself that he would never strike his daughter because he knew all too well what if felt like. His step-father had abused him without remorse and the pain and degradation that followed that treatment had stayed with Severus. He had told himself that he would never strike any children he had and tonight he had broken that promise. H would deserve it if she never spoke to him again.

He chugged back yet another drink of fire whiskey and poured himself another. He knew he would regret it in the morning, but he needed all the help he could get in forgetting the events of that evening. Severus had been terrified beyond measure that his daughter would be killed, she had come close in fact, and his heart had damn near stopped.

She hadn't been lying when she said that he had damn near blown his cover to save her when Nagini started after her. Severus had been fully aware of what such an action would do, and he hadn't cared a whit. He had been determined to save his little girl but, in the end, it hadn't been necessary because she had betrayed a secret that had given her an edge. Yes, it had been the smartest thing to do but if she had just listened to him in the first place, the revealing of secrets wouldn't have even been necessary.

Hermione had been foolish in her actions and she had been right. He hadn't trusted her in the slightest. While he was unhappy with her actions, she had done nothing to warrant his mistrust and that was what made the whole situation worse. He hadn't trusted her, and he should have. That didn't mean that he was happy with her actions, quite the opposite, but now he had nobody to blame but himself. She had put her trust in him clear back in first year after he had proven to them that he had been protecting the Philosopher's Stone. Even though she had done nothing to warrant his mistrust, he hadn't trusted her and this was where it had landed him.

Severus knew that he had to fix this between them but was totally unsure as to how. Obviously, it would require an apology, something that he could manage, but after that he was clueless. He hoped that she would clue him in and tell him what to do because he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to ask. Potter had never made him feel better for leaving his daughter in the company of himself and Draco. When he had stalked back in the classroom where Severus was still gathering his wits, Potter had leaned down over the top of him menacingly. His mouth had been close to his ear so even if someone else had been present they wouldn't have heard him.

"If you touch her ever again, I'll kill you and they won't find your body. It will kill me to watch her mourn you because she certainly will, but I'll manage. This is your final warning, Snape. You will welcome death once I'm done with you."

Severus was a dark wizard, there was no denying that. He found dark things or threats to be a turn on; that was part of his attraction to Alexandra. She loved receiving and inflicting pain during sex, not something that many light wizards or witches prided themselves on. To hear Harry threaten him as such made his heart soar. Even though it went against every bone in his body, he was willing to care for his little girl and remove the threat. While he had expected this behavior from Draco, another dark wizard like himself, Potter had taken him by surprise.

Even though he was on the receiving end of the threat, Severus felt reassured that the two boys would care for his daughter if anything ever happened to him. At this point, however, that wouldn't matter since she likely wasn't speaking to him anyways. Severus didn't blame her; he would have been just as angry, if not more so, if the shoe had been on the other foot.

Severus drank down his ninth glass of fire whiskey before he set the cup aside and staggered his way to the bed. He didn't even bother taking his clothing off, just his shoes and he kicked them off over the side of the bed. He was going to have a hangover the next morning, but Severus didn't care; he deserved whatever he ended up with and he hoped that Hermione would see him suffering so she would be more likely to forgive him.

While he wasn't sure that she would ever forgive him, he still held hope in his heart. She was his daughter and she had said hurtful things as well. Severus knew that she was tender hearted and the things she had said were probably weighing down her conscience now that she had cooled down. Even though it was Slytherin and morally wrong, he hoped that her guilt would urge her to forgive him as well. The last thing that he wanted was to lose his daughter to the disaster that had occurred tonight.

Severus flopped onto his bed and tried not to let the dizziness overtake him when he came to a stop. His thoughts were hazy as he laid his head on the pillow. He decided that come morning, he would summon Hermione to his classroom and grovel before her, begging for him to forgive her. Even though he had plenty to be righteously angry about, he had taken his reaction way to far and it had caused far more of a rift that he had expected. His eyes fell close as he decided on his course of action.

The only thing that kept him from reliving losing his daughter in his dreams was the fact that he remembered throughout the dreams that he was going to apologize and win his daughter back.

A/N- Errrr maaaaa gerrddddd, this is the longest chapter so far. I seriously wrote it all in one day while my daughter was in a drug-induced coma, lol. I hope that you all enjoyed it. Leave me your thoughts and let me know what you think, reviews make me smile so much.

For the record, I want to reiterate to everyone out there that I do not mean to portray child abuse. I was backhanded many times as a child, so I don't really look at Severus' actions as child abuse. That may offend some of you, but this is my story. Hope you all continue to read!

Next up, Harry gets a lead on the next horcrux.

Love,

Alicia


	39. Chapter 39

A/N- I'm back, y'all, I can only apologize for the time between the last chapter and this one. My daughter has been slow to recover, and it's been a trial getting her to and from school and making sure that she has her homework when she doesn't go. I won't lie, I was also caught up in an epic-sized fic on AO3 called Sound the Bugle by Achelona and trulywicked. There were more same sex pairings than I expected, but the story line was phenomenal, and I will definitely read it again. Anyways, I apologize again for the delay and will get on the next chapter right away.

Trigger Warning: Light BDSM.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story. All the original characters and anything that resembles canon belongs to J.K.R. All the other concepts that I have employed in this story have been done hundreds of times before. The only thing that's mine is the personal plot twist. Someday it will all be mine *rubs hands together in an evil manner*.

Chapter 39

March 26, 1996

Hermione was more than frustrated, if that was possible. She didn't know the correct word for the feeling coursing through her but that didn't mean it wasn't possible.

Hermione, Harry, Draco, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Remus had been brainstorming for days about where the next horcrux could be located. If Harry's words were true and Nagini was a horcrux, that left only one more to find and destroy. Dumbledore swore that he had been through the life history of her grandfather and had found nowhere that he thought would be important enough to warrant a horcrux.

Harry still stood by his Hogwarts guess. He swore that an orphan would look at the castle as home since he had done so five years before. While Hermione and Draco agreed with him, Dumbledore shot him down every time he brought it up, saying that he would have felt the presence of dark magic through the years. While Hermione was sure that the Headmaster was right, that didn't mean that the horcrux hadn't been put somewhere that the Headmaster never visited.

Hermione had even gone so far as to ask the Headmaster if there was anywhere in the castle that he simply refused to visit, coming up empty-handed. She had asked if there was somewhere that he rarely visited, somewhere like the Slytherin common room, but he had told her that he traveled the whole castle quite often for just that reason. Harry was certain that there was a horcrux in the castle, but they had yet to find one and the Headmaster was in denial.

Hermione, Draco, and Harry had taken it upon themselves to begin searching the castle for the horcrux despite what Dumbledore said. It was quite clear that Harry didn't trust the Headmaster and while she knew that Draco didn't either, he was a little more tolerant. They had been searching for three days now, starting in the dungeons. They had begun their hunt in the Slytherin common room while Draco searched the boy's dormitories. Hermione had assigned Pansy with the top secret mission of searching the girl's dorms for something that was of dark nature. Pansy had been more than happy to comply after word of her visit at the Manor had leaked out.

It had been two days after their visit to Malfoy Manor and Hermione had been waved down to the Slytherin table. It was common knowledge that she and her mates ate with the lions so when she saw them waving her over it had been clear that they had something of importance that they needed to discuss.

*Flashback*

Hermione saw the waving hands of Pansy and her brother. She groaned just a little; the last thing that she wanted to do was spend her breakfast being fawned over by snakes that saw her as an icon.

Knowing she had no choice, Hermione made her way over to the Slytherin table, Draco and Harry hot on her tail. She had hoped that they would continue their way to the Gryffindor table, so she could use them as an excuse but no such luck today. Hermione brushed her hair back as she took the seat between Theo and Pansy. She refused to break the silence since she had no idea what they could possibly want. Pansy broke the silence.

"We have to know the truth. Did you incapacitate the Dark Lord and threaten to kill him?" Hermione turned indignant eyes to the rest of the snakes.

"Of course, I did, he tortured my father and threatened him. I may only be a half-blood and most of you think I don't value the meaning of family, but I do. Nobody hurts my family or my mates and gets away with it." A second year Slytherin leaned forward and met her eyes excitedly.

"Please tell us what happened, our parents will only say that you're a danger to their way of life." It was at this point that Hermione knew that she was going to have to grandstand to make her point and keep her allies. She cleared her throat before beginning her speech.

"I am a danger to their way of life. All your parents want is to rape and murder muggleborns. This won't win them anything but scorn. All magical blood is precious. I hope to keep all muggleborns as servants. They could serve us better with use of their magic after all. This would never happen, though, if they hated us. I think we should treat them well and allow them their wands, so they may serve us without difficulty. If we declare them unfit to hold a wand, if we make them completely subservient, it will cause them to rebel and that means lives lost. Muggles are expendable, of that there is no doubt, but magical blood is to be treasured. To me, our way is clear. My grandfather agrees with me but many of his followers do not. If you don't wish to follow me and follow in your parent's footsteps, that is up to you. I can't make you adopt my views. This being said, if I catch you torturing a muggleborn, you will answer to me." Unsurprisingly, it was Theo that spoke up.

"I agree with you, sister. There are times that families can no longer conceive, and it has been proven that a muggleborn can regenerate the bloodline. I think your thoughts on the matter are wise and just." Hermione was quite certain that her brother suspected her position on the dark side but that was the last thing that she wanted to discuss with him. She could deny it, but she couldn't confirm it either if he asked. It was a shit situation but to be honest, it was what she had signed up for. She didn't want to lie to her brother anymore than she wanted to lie to anyone else, it just hurt more knowing that it was her brother that was going to be suffering when he discovered the truth. The rest of her followers turned a blind eye to her. Hermione heaved a deep sigh and did the best that she could with her demands.

"I want this school to be united. I don't think that will ever occur if we all fall to separate sides of the war. The last thing I want to do is kill magical people but if I have to I will. My goal is to have everyone united and everyone happy. If muggleborns are shown that serving is better than torture and death, I guarantee you that everyone will be happy."

Hermione was unsure if she had sold the view to the others, but she hadn't had any openly defy her. That was what she had been hoping wouldn't happen. She could only chuckle under her breath when she considered what the Slytherins would do when she killed her grandfather and demolished his way of life. She would surely be the most hated person in the school. Not that Hermione cared. Doing what was right was far more important than making sure that she had friends.

*End of Flashback*

The trio still hadn't found anything that reeked of dark magic and they sure as hell hadn't found anything that they could claim to be a horcrux. Hermione was frustrated beyond measure since she hadn't been able to come up with any sort of plan regarding the death of the Headmaster but there was nothing for it. She hoped to use the "death" of the Headmaster to draw her grandfather out and introduce him to his demise. That couldn't happen until all his horcruxes were dead.

Hermione sighed and settled back in her seat at the Gryffindor table. Breakfast was ending, and it wouldn't be long before they were dismissed to their classes. She brushed her hair back from her face as she realized that there was someone staring at her. Her eyes cast furtively around the room, trying to discover just where the uncomfortable feeling was originating. She found no students watching her but that meant nothing. The Slytherins could be pretty sneaky and that meant watching her also.

Finally, her gaze travelled to the High Table and she was surprised to see that not only was the Headmaster staring at her but so was her father. She wasn't surprised at the Headmaster staring; he had developed an unhealthy obsession with her as of late. She had attributed it to the fact that she was assigned to kill him. She wasn't sure if he didn't believe that she wouldn't kill him, but the fact remained that he was always watching her now.

Her father was a different story. Severus watched her all the time, but she was sure that it was because he was chock full of remorse. He had corned her three days after their meeting with Voldemort and Hermione had never seen him so low.

*Flashback*

Hermione was doing her best to act that everything was alright. She was currently in Potions and it was the last class of the day. This was the last place that she wanted to be especially since her father hated her and she was sure that he was just waiting for an excuse to punish her, but there was nothing for it. She couldn't drop the class any more than he could stop teaching it.

Harry rubbed her leg underneath their table; the class had been all lecture and there was an uncomfortable feeling that did nothing to make her feel better. Draco was entranced by the lesson and was putting his full attention forward. Hermione suspected that it was because the last thing that he wanted was for her father to punish any of them for not paying attention. Hermione learned that Harry was the one that needed to fear her father the most.

He had told her that when he had gone into the classroom that she had left her father in that night, he had threatened the older Slytherin, telling him that if he ever touched her again that he would kill him. Hermione had been horrified at the time but after she had let it sink in for a few hours, she realized that she would have done nothing different if she had been in Harry's shoes. Truthfully, she was impressed with his restraint because she would have cursed first and talked later.

After her father had dismissed her Potion's class, he had requested that she stay behind. Even though she wanted to mend fences with her father, Hermione had been leery. She wasn't afraid of him, that would have been silly considering the things that she was capable of, but that didn't mean that she wanted to have to curse him. Both her boys had been apprehensive about leaving her behind, but she had silenced them with a look and sent them on.

Her boys gathered their things and shot her a supportive look before they left the room. Hermione also gathered her things just in case things went horribly wrong and she was forced to bail quickly. Her father watched her closely and she couldn't help but squirm under his scrutiny. Once her things were loaded in her satchel, she threw it over her shoulder and made her way to the front of the classroom

"You needed me to stay, Professor?" She could see that her words cut him deep, but she wasn't giving him any reason to punish her. Familiarity would have been easy to nail her with, therefore, the formality.

The truth was, Hermione felt terrible for her part in their argument. She had taken it too far when she had thrown him against the wall and the things that she had said to him were unforgivable. She wouldn't blame him if he never forgave her. She had done nothing but beat herself up about the events of that night since they had happened. Harry and Draco had tried to assure her that she hadn't overreacted, that her actions had been justified, but she couldn't help but think that they were wrong. Her father had been scared to death that she was going to be tortured and die, all because she wanted to save him. It was true that he hadn't trusted her, but his actions had occurred out of love. Hermione couldn't say that same thing. Her actions had been born out of anger. She kept her eyes on the floor as she waited for her father to respond.

"Hermione, don't call me that, please. I know that I don't deserve for you to forgive me, but I'm begging it of you just the same. I regret how I handled that entire evening and I hope that you realize that those reactions were because of how fucking much I love you." Her father paused, and Hermione took the moment to raise her eyes to meet his. They were open and sincere, and Hermione knew that he was speaking the truth.

"I was so scared that you were going to die all because you felt the need to save me. That would have been the ultimate sin, having you discovered and hurt because you were determined to make life better for me. I know you have rose-colored glasses when it comes to me, but the fact remains that I have done terrible things and I am not a good man. The last thing that a father wants is for his daughter to pay his dues in life, especially when she is as innocent as the fresh morning dew. I would die if you were killed, Hermione." He paused again, gathering his courage so he could continue.

"I swore to myself when you were born that I would never strike you. My step-father believed that you didn't truly learn anything unless it was beaten into you. I broke that promise and I have never been more ashamed. I have nothing to say for myself except how so very sorry I am about what happened that night and how much I wish that I could take it back." Her father seemed to have run out of steam and Hermione waited for him to lift his head to meet hers. When he didn't, she stepped forward and lifted his chin with her fingers.

"I'm just as much to blame for this as you are. I said and did things that I regret more than anything else in my life. I never wanted to scare you and I never wanted you to be scared that I would die. I know that you don't trust me, but I assure you, I can take care of myself when it comes to my grandfather. He knows I'll kill him if he hurts you or my mates and I just wish that you could put a little bit of faith in me. I know that I scared you and that is why you acted as you did. I'm sorry for my part in the evening. I wish that I could take it back but that's not how life works. I just don't want you to hate me for the things that I said; I'd deserve it if you did." Her father rushed her and pulled her into his arms, tucking her into his chest and holding her close.

"Hermione, sweet Merlin, I could never hate you, I was sure that you hated me. You're my little girl and I want nothing more than your safety and happiness. This was all my fault because I refused to trust you. Please don't blame yourself." Hermione shook her head against his chest, her arms snaking out to wrap around his waist.

"It's my fault too. I should have handled it better; this whole situation might have been avoided if I had." Her father shook his head above her.

"No, I dragged you across the grounds even though you were hurt, I didn't care that you were in pain. Your actions were justified." Hermione didn't speak, just took in her father's familiar scent clinging to his robes.

"I suppose that it doesn't matter, we were both wrong. Can we just promise that this will never happen again?" Her father chuckled above her and kissed her hairline several times.

"I swear, sweet, this will never happen again. From now on, I'm going to be on your side. It's those boys that need to worry now." Hermione chuckled now, completely unworried.

"I promise, it won't happen on my end either." Her father pulled away and cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"I love you, Hermione." She smiled up at him, her joy clear on her face.

"I love you too, Daddy."

*End of Flashback*

The bell rang, dismissing the students from breakfast and sending them on their way to their first class. Hermione stood and waited for her two boys to join her after gathering their things. She sent a happy wave to Fred, George, Ginny, and Luna as they all headed off in separate directions, all to different classes. Hermione and her boys were headed to Transfiguration, Ginny and Luna to Defense, and the twins to Potions.

Hermione allowed Harry and Draco to wrap their arms around her waist and guide her through the corridors towards Transfiguration. It was no secret that she was capable of handling herself but the fact that they insisted on keeping her close was quite endearing. Once ensconced inside the classroom, Hermione put herself at the end of their three-person table, so she could remove her things from her satchel and study for her upcoming N.E.W.T.s

Hermione could admit that she had gone studying mad since Professor McGonagall had informed her that she would be testing at the seventh-year level in her subject. She was excited beyond measure about it, but she couldn't help but worry that she was going to do badly. Not to mention that it was the end of March and their O.W.L.s would be in just a few months' time. While the boys had been less than pleased that she was making them study for hours on end, she knew that they were just as eager to do well as she was.

Hermione tuned the class out once they were all seated and Professor McGonagall started her lecture. Hermione pulled out four enormous books and began reading them and taking notes, quite sure that everything she read was going to be important and on the test. She didn't notice when the class rose as one and started the practical part of their lesson. Harry and Draco were paired with Pansy and Theo, so she didn't worry about them in the slightest.

When the bell rang, Hermione gathered her things and started to shuffle them inside her bag. Their next period was a free period that they were meeting Theo for in the library. She had nagged him into attending, telling him that he was sure to need the study time for his O.W.L.s. Hermione was quite sure that her brother was sitting pretty for the tests and that he only gave in to make her happy and spend time with her. She didn't mind a whit.

Theo had demanded the whole story out of her regarding her time at Malfoy Manor the last time but had had the good sense to wait until they were alone. She had told him the official story, that she wouldn't stand for someone hurting her family. She had also told him the same story she had told the Slytherins regarding muggleborns and muggles and she couldn't help but feel guilty for lying. This feeling was only exacerbated by the fact that Theo had gotten a disappointed look on his face and made excuses, so he could walk away.

That action had hurt Hermione but there was nothing that she could do about it. While she wanted to trust her brother, she truly did, she knew that nobody would believe that he was able to be trusted. Maybe if he would send her a sign that told her for sure that he didn't support his father's beliefs, she wouldn't feel guilty about betraying her side to tell him the truth.

Her boys led her through the corridors once more towards the library. They would have been much more comfortable in their Room, but none of them were keen to give away the fact that the Room changed to whatever you needed at the time. None of them wanted to find themselves relegated to sleeping alone in their dorms again. Hermione was quite sure that she was so used to sleeping with Harry and Draco that she would have a hard time assimilating back to sleeping alone.

The trio settled at their usual table in the library, nobody brave enough to interrupt them. Hermione settled in and gathered books on Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, all books that had been recommended by their prospective professors. Some people might call Hermione a suck up, but there was no way in the world that she would find herself unprepared for the most important testing of her life to date.

Theo joined them, smile broad on his face, as he opened his books and cast a glance at the material before the rest of them. While Hermione was studying Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Harry and Draco were studying Transfiguration. Theo sat happily and quietly, pulling his Potion's book out as well.

"I see that we've split on the subjects we're studying. I thought that we agreed that we all did better when we were studying the same subject." Hermione shrugged sheepishly.

"That was what we wanted to do but it's easier for me to concentrate on Transfiguration when you three aren't studying it. I always end up worrying about the mistakes you could be making and lose whatever I'm studying." Theo chuckled.

"Alright, if that's the case, lets all study Charms. There are a couple charms that are giving me trouble and I would love the help." The fact that Theo was willing to admit that he had problems with Charms just showed how much he trusted Hermione and her two mates. This only made her heart twist in anguish even more at lying to him. She didn't want to alienate him, though, and she was scared to death that that was what was going to happen once her brother knew the truth. That reality couldn't be allowed to exist, however.

Hermione gladly agreed to study Charms and the four of them were quiet in the own pursuits of the subject. For the most part they were all at the same level, Hermione slightly advanced as usual, but at the same spot in general. They studied separately and then practiced their practicals together, something that made Madam Pince almost fall into a dead faint at the thought of.

Ninety minutes flew by and before Hermione knew it, she was parting from her brother in the library. He still had the suspicious look in his eyes, but she ignored it. She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before separating, hoping to alleviate some of the suspicion that she was sure that her brother felt.

Hermione allowed her boys to pull her from the library towards the Great Hall. She wasn't really hungry, but she knew that her father would be worried if she didn't show up. Since their argument and subsequent make up, he had been far more attentive. Hermione wasn't complaining but it was nice to know what to expect regarding the adults in their life.

They settled at the Gryffindor table and began to spoon their food on the plates before anyone spoke. The atmosphere was quiet, and it led Hermione to believe that trouble was brewing. When someone finally spoke up, it was Seamus. Hermione couldn't say that she was surprised. Their friend had always been the kind to feel something for a long time before they spoke aloud.

"I want to know what the fuck is going on. This has been going on long enough and I've done my best to let it run its course but that obviously isn't going to happen. I get that you've started dating Malfoy, Hermione, and it is a big surprise that you're sharing two men. That just isn't you so I'm wondering just what is going on that you can't pass up. Is it the money?" Hermione knew then for sure that her brother was more than suspicious. If Seamus was suspicious, her brother had to be. Rather than give a truthful answer, however, she placated him with pretty words.

"Harry and Draco are my boyfriends, I'm not sure what else you want me to say about it." Seamus snorted, Dean alongside him.

"Bollocks. I know there's more to the story. I'm not blind." Hermione froze for a moment, hoping that her friends wouldn't blow her secret before the whole of Hogwarts. Hermione couldn't help but feel a flash of worry at his words. The last thing that she needed at this moment was to be suspected and brought before her grandfather. The one thing that saved her was Pansy and a few other Slytherins stalking over to the lion table and facing the two Gryffindors head on.

"Are you doubting your prized lions?" Seamus and Dean froze as several Slytherins moved forward in front of her, Harry and Draco turning to meet their gazes. Hermione couldn't help the small sigh of relief at the Slytherins stepping in. Dean sneered in Pansy's direction and it made Hermione rear back in surprise when she found that she didn't like how her fellow lions were treating the snakes.

"I doubt anyone that can make friends with snakes, let alone date them. We all know that she's shagging Malfoy and that's a betrayal of the nth degree." Pansy crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow at him.

"And the world says that the Slytherins are the prejudiced ones. The fact that our finest is dating a muggleborn seems to show that we aren't nearly as prejudiced as you are." It was Dean that sneered now.

"We don't walk around bullying people and calling muggleborns mudbloods. We're prejudiced against bullies." It was Harry that spoke this time.

"It's true, Draco has been a berk in the past, but does that mean that he isn't capable of change, that he can't accept others for who they are? He loves Hermione and that should be all that you need to know, Seamus. If you were a real friend to Hermione, you would be happy for her." Both boys crossed their arms over their chests and gave the Chosen One an incredulous look.

"You're just as blinded as she is because you're boffing the silver snake too." Hermione was reaching her tether and it was clear to both of her boys. She stood up and leaned over the table, her power washing over the two lions. The surprised look on their faces was priceless.

"As my friends, you should be happy for me that I'm happy. However, since you're the hateful, insensitive arseholes that you are, I'm issuing a warning. My sex life with Draco, as well as Harry's metaphorical one, is off limits. If you find yourself discussing my sex life outside of this conversation, trust me, you'll regret it to your dying day. I think that you'll find that I'm a bad enemy to have." Seamus narrowed his eyes at her.

"Are you threatening us, Hermione?" She smiled sweetly at him.

"That wasn't a threat, that was a promise. Don't bother snitching either, nobody here is going to back you up." Hermione probably shouldn't have gone there with her lion friends, but she was far from being in the mood to deal with their harsh words and opinions. Both of their eyes widened at her words but in true Gryffindor fashion, they couldn't help not having the last word.

"I guess Harry has turned to the dark side too." Hermione couldn't help herself. She was careful to make sure that she couldn't be named as the cause of the infraction, but it was going to be quite clear that she was the one who acted.

The soup in the bowls in front of them flew up out of said bowls and soaked their fronts. There were howls of pain, but Hermione made sure to wandlessly cool the soup before it could do too much damage. While she wanted to teach them a lesson for speaking ill of Harry and Draco, she didn't want to scar them for life. Pansy and the gathered Slytherins started to laugh at Dean and Seamus and Hermione couldn't find much sympathy for them. She wondered if she was turning into a monster like her grandfather.

They were all saved from further discussion by her father swooping down and glaring at the lot of them. While Hermione hated to feel indebted to anyone, she couldn't deny that being saved from further conflict with Dean and Seamus made her grin in relief. Not giving away the game to those who weren't already aware of his relation to Hermione, he sneered at the Gryffindors.

"Causing problems, Miss Granger?" She bowed her head contritely, making a good show of it.

"No, sir. We were minding our own business and the Slytherins came over to wish Draco and I luck on our Ancient Runes quiz this afternoon." She could see the amusement in her father's gaze.

"I take it that you had nothing to do with Mr. Thomas and Mr. Finnegan wearing their soup?" She could see that he was more than aware that she had caused the whole event but there was no way that she was going to admit to it.

"No, sir, I would never do something like that. It could burn them." Even though she could feel the glare from both boys, they remained silent. Truthfully, she was surprised that they weren't snitching her out. She supposed that it could be that they knew they would never get Professor Snape to believe them with everyone backing Hermione's story, but she wanted to chalk it up to Gryffindor loyalty. Her father glanced at both boys and raised a brow at them.

"Do the two of you require medical assistance for any burns sustained?" They both shook their heads and her father turned to his snakes.

"You better get to class before you're late. We can't have Slytherin losing points for something as trivial as tardiness." Hermione really wanted to speak up and remind her father of how many points he had removed from Gryffindor for the "trivial" crime of being tardy, but she didn't. It would only land her in detention and that was the last thing that she wanted. The Slytherins dispersed quickly, their professor following suit. Hermione made sure to lean over to the two soup-covered lions.

"I don't want to fight with you. I want you to just accept my decision since it's my life and keep your comments to yourself. I haven't commented on the fact that the two of you are a couple, that I walked in on you shagging last year. I've kept my opinions to myself because it isn't my business and I would appreciate the same consideration." The shocked looks on the pair's faces were priceless. She wasn't sure why. The whole of Gryffindor House knew that they were together, but they apparently thought that they were sneaky enough to not have anyone know. Draco appeared shocked as well, but Harry continued to eat as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Seamus gave a quick nod.

"You keep that information to yourself, we'll drop the act." Hermione gave them a bright smile.

"Everyone already knows, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Mums the words, however, I won't breathe a word." Both boys looked contemplative, but Hermione dropped the conversation before turning to her boys.

"Professor Snape was right, we need to go so we aren't late." Hermione and Draco were headed to a double Ancient Runes lesson while Harry was going to Divination. Hermione wasn't sure why he hadn't dropped the subject after his third year, but she supposed that she should give him points for following through on something he hated. Hermione felt bad that he had to constantly listen to the fraud predict his death day after day.

The trio went to their feet and Hermione allowed Harry to kiss her rather indecently before he headed off in the opposite direction of Hermione and Draco. She gathered her wits once he was gone and Draco smirked at her difficulty in focusing after her kiss. His arm snaked around her waist, his fingers sliding underneath her shirt to caress the soft skin of her hip. She couldn't keep her breath from hitching as it sent goosebumps down her spine. Just as they were entering the Ancient Runes classroom, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"You were a bad girl at lunch, Harry and I are going to punish you tonight." Hermione couldn't hold back a shiver of anticipation once she heard his words. She had suffered their "punishment" just a few days before because she had laughed at the pair of them when they presented themselves for breakfast in each other's ties. She hadn't been sure how they hadn't noticed, especially Draco, but they hadn't. Their "punishment" had been deliciously naughty and she had promised herself that she would misbehave more often.

The pair took their usual seats, the only class that they sat apart in. Hermione was next to Padma Patil while Draco was with Blaise Zabini. Professor Babbling entered and immediately called the attention of the class to the front. They were issued the quiz just like Hermione had told her father and she was happy to dive in and show that she had studied like they had been told to.

Since it was a double period, they were able to listen to a lecture and still work on their assignment. They were working on translating Celtic runes still since there were still people having difficulties with them. Hermione didn't find them difficult at all and was able to finish her assignment before class was dismissed. She was happy to see that Draco had as well.

The pair gathered their things once class was dismissed, meeting at the door so they could walk down to the Great Hall together. Harry only had Divination for a regular class period followed by another free period, so it was hard telling where the day would lead him. Hermione smiled at her blond boyfriend, snuggled closer into his side, and let him lead the way.

-O-

Harry really couldn't stand Divination anymore. He was counting down the days until he could drop the subject and pick up something that would be useful in life. Hearing his death predicted every single class period got old quickly. When he thought about it, he was glad that Hermione had dropped the subject because he didn't think that she would handle the dire predictions well at all.

After Trelawney had dismissed class, Harry began to wander. He would be the first to admit that he was preoccupied with the whole horcrux dilemma. They needed to find and destroy it quickly, before Hermione was to kill Dumbledore. She wanted to use his "death" as a lure to get Voldemort where she wanted him, so they could end the war.

The snake presented a problem though. Harry was quite certain that Nagini was a horcrux, that brand of dark magic had become more than familiar. It saddened him that an innocent snake would have to die, he wasn't heartless after all, but there was nothing he could do about it. The snake would have to die just before they faced off with Voldemort, there was no other way to go about it. That meant that they needed to find the last horcrux and destroy it quickly.

Harry wandered the corridors for a long time, well over an hour, before he decided to make his way back to their Room, so he could change clothes into something more comfortable. The trek to the seventh-floor corridor didn't take long since he was already on the sixth floor wandering past the Charms classroom. His mind was still elsewhere when he paced the corridor in front of Barnabas the Barmy, not realizing that his mind wasn't focusing on their bedroom at all, but instead, finding the location of the last horcrux.

When the door appeared, Harry entered the Room of Requirement, still preoccupied with locations that the horcrux could be found. It was with a start of surprise that he entered the Room and realized that he was the furthest thing from their bedroom. There were mountains of what appeared to be junk, stacked over ten feet in the air in a room larger than the Great Hall. He could only stand there and gape at the room, flabbergasted that his mind had summoned this room.

What surprised him the most was the now-familiar feel of dark magic brushing against his magical core. It felt exactly how Nagini felt, exactly how the other horcruxes felt, and it was in that moment that he realized he had found the location of the last horcrux. It would take ages to find it in all the discarded junk but if they got help from the others in the castle, they could certainly cover the area faster.

Harry fingered through the first pile, taking in the empty sherry bottles, the discarded books, and the little trinkets that looked as though they belonged in the Headmaster's office. He found nothing of importance, certainly not the horcrux, but he felt a sliver of hope in the fact that they would find it eventually. He cast a quick tempus charm only to realize that Hermione and Draco would be out of Runes now and headed for the Great Hall for dinner. He tried to remember what he had been thinking when the door appeared, and he could only come up with "I need to find where the last horcrux is."

Harry exited the Room, the door disappearing behind him. He paced the corridor once more, his thoughts from earlier front and center in his mind. When the door appeared again, he opened the door and let out a whoop of joy when the same room appeared. He closed the door once more and began to make his way through the corridors towards the Great Hall.

He made the journey quickly since he was excited. Less than ten minutes later, he entered the Great Hall and saw that Hermione and Draco were both already in their usual spots though they hadn't served themselves yet. When Hermione caught sight of him, a smile spread across her face and Harry felt a thrill rush through him. His feelings for the dark-haired girl still surprised him somedays. He took his seat between the two of them and waited impatiently for their full attention. Hermione was conversing with Ginny and Luna and Draco was arguing quidditch with Neville and the twins. It seemed like an eternity had passed before they both left their conversations and turned their attention to Harry. He was nearly bouncing in his seat when he spoke.

"I found the last horcrux. Well, I found the room it's in. It's full to the brim of junk so it's going to take awhile to find it, but I know it's in the room. I can feel it." Hermione's eyes went wide, and her hand went to his arm, nails digging in slightly.

"Where? Dumbledore swears that he's never found a room that the horcrux could be in." Harry leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple while Draco just stared at him, clearly confused at the new information.

"I don't think Dumbledore has ever been in this room. I went back to our Room to change clothes, but my mind was on the horcrux. I was thinking I needed to find the horcrux and next thing I know, I enter a room with more junk than you can even imagine. I didn't see the horcrux, but I could feel it." Hermione threw her arms around his neck and gave him a smacking kiss to his cheek. Harry couldn't help but laugh softly at her actions. Draco was the one who broke the good mood.

"The Headmaster isn't here. I think he had business out of the country if I remember Severus correctly. He left after lunch. Who knows when he'll be back." Harry felt Hermione grow somber at his words.

"We could just go start looking after dinner." Harry widened his eyes at her, wondering just how she could be so smart and so stupid at the same time.

"Hermione, you have to know that we aren't looking for that horcrux without an adult. Think about the protections on the last few horcruxes. I didn't feel anything sinister in the room but the last thing I want to do is take a chance with yours and Draco's safety and wellbeing." Her face fell slightly before she nodded.

"You're right, it would be foolish to go look on our own. My dad would probably have a heart attack." Harry nodded and considered their options.

"I say that we send a patronus to Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Remus after dinner and tell them. Maybe they'll still let us start looking tonight." Hermione was excited again and Harry had to wonder about the kinds of things that got her excited. A slow grin spread across his face when he considered just what kind of things got her excited. She waved her hand and her little fox appeared under the table, she was quite clearly trying to keep her message a secret.

Harry didn't hear the message that she gave her bushy-tailed companion but when she finished, it rushed off to Professor McGonagall, probably so it wouldn't raise suspicion if someone saw it and recognized it as hers. The Gryffindor watched as his Head of House bent close to listen to the message and met his gaze once the silvery specter disappeared. She gave a small nod, indicating that she would gather Professor Snape and Remus, making their job much easier.

The rest of dinner passed by without incident, Dean and Seamus unsurprisingly silent. Harry couldn't help but laugh at the fact that the pair thought their relationship was a big secret. The whole of Gryffindor House knew they shagged like rabbits, but he wasn't going to open that can of worms when he really didn't care. Ron and Lavender were surprisingly quiet several people down at the table making Harry grateful.

Dinner ended, and Harry and his two counterparts said their farewells and made their way to Professor McGonagall's office. All the professors had left before they had so he assumed that they would all three be waiting for them. After Draco knocked, the door swung open and revealed that all three of their professors were indeed tucked away inside. The Transfiguration professor ushered them in and gestured for them to take seats across from the three adults. It was no surprise that Professor Snape broke the silence.

"Is there a reason for taking me from my brewing?" Hermione gave a confident nod but turned to Harry, so he could do the reveal. He reached up to toy with one of her curls as he spoke.

"I was wandering the castle before dinner, thinking about our horcrux problem. I went to the Room of Requirement to change clothes and was focused on the horcrux so much that the Room became a room full of junk, bigger than the Great Hall and full to the top. I can feel the horcrux in there, I just can't find it by myself. It would take years." All the professors fell silent and stared for so long that Harry wondered if he had done the wrong thing by telling them. When the silence was broken, it was by Remus.

"You found the horcrux in the castle where students could access it?" Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose they could though I'm not sure how many people in the castle know about the room. Obviously, someone has since the room is full of junk. I'm sure that it didn't just materialize." Hermione was vibrating with excitement next to him and he couldn't help smiling at her. Her voice was just as excited as her body.

"We should go start looking for it right now. The sooner we can find it, the sooner we can destroy it." Her father finally spoke.

"As much as I don't like the Headmaster, we aren't going looking for this horcrux until he is present." Hermione deflated next to him and she looked lost.

"Why not? We thought that you three would be enough." Harry was glad that she asked the question since if he had, he would have received a scathing remark about how stupid he was. Just because the older man allowed him to date his daughter didn't mean that he liked the Gryffindor. Her father leaned forward and clasped his hands together as he met his daughter's eyes.

"We're going to wait because every horcrux we've discovered has been ridiculously dangerous. I'm aware that you are more powerful than any of us in this room, even more so than your grandfather, but nobody can deny that the Headmaster has the most experience out of all of us. If for some reason there was something guarding the horcrux and one of you were killed, or one of us, the Headmaster's presence would make it easier to explain. We need to do this as safely as possible because nobody wants anyone injured or dead." Harry could see hurt cloud his girlfriend's eyes as did her father.

"Sweet, this isn't me casting aspersions on your skills and talents, not even your power. I don't want to lose you or Draco, not even Potter though the world would be less annoying. Promise me that you'll wait until the Headmaster returns to go looking for the horcrux." Both Remus and Professor McGonagall were nodding next to him. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I promise." Snape smiled at his daughter and he felt her brighten next to him. It was clear that after their argument she still adored him. Remus spoke next.

"Job well done, Harry, and thank you for letting us know before you just started searching." Harry and Draco both smirked at Hermione's pink cheeks, clearly embarrassed that she wouldn't have gained their thanks. The adults seemed to realize it as well, her father shaking his head in exasperation.

"Hermione, your reckless Gryffindor ways will be the death of me." The rest of them laughed and she colored further, remaining silent. Harry finally took pity on her and changed the subject.

"Is there anything else you three need?" Professor McGonagall smirked at him, clearly understanding that he was pulling the attention away from Hermione, so her face would cool.

"No, Mr. Potter, there is nothing else. Enjoy the rest of your evening." Harry stood and held out a hand to Hermione to help her up. He didn't release her hand and led her out of the room. He knew that Draco would have his hand on her waist since they both had the constant need to touch her. They were several corridors down when Draco broke the silence.

"You're definitely getting punished now, Princess. We can't have you rushing off into danger without a single thought to your safety." Harry's pulse quickened at his blond counterpart's words. They loved punishing Hermione and truth be told, she loved it too.

Harry sped up his pace, traveling the castle faster than usual. Even though he had relieved himself with Hermione the night before, he was always ready to fuck her. She was a dream, responsive and eager to please, and he had no problems sharing that joy with Draco. Harry loved watching the blond fuck her, loved hearing her mewl out her lover's name as he pounded into her.

Draco paced the corridor this time, the door to their room appearing. The trio all dropped their bags by the door, no homework needing done for the day. Harry knew that Hermione would claim that they should study more for their O.W.L.s but there would be none of that tonight. He ushered Hermione towards the loo, so she could perform whatever nightly ritual she had before bed. It was still early but Harry had every intention of wearing her out.

Both boys stripped off their clothes down to their boxers and waited patiently for their princess to emerge from the bathroom. Neither one said a word, but Harry could see that Draco was just as excited as he was. They both settled in arm chairs before the fire, but they didn't have to wait too long. Hermione emerged from the bathroom in only her panties and a tank top. Harry and Draco both rose to their feet and Draco raised his brow at her.

"Is there a reason you bothered with clothing?" She shrugged her shoulders and Harry could see the anticipation in her eyes. He stepped forward and gestured to her clothing.

"Off with them. No clothes tonight." She was quick to shuck her clothing off and her nipples hardened when she saw their gazes fixated on her. Harry stepped forward and caught her chin in his fingers and made her meet his eyes.

"What are you being punished for tonight?" Her eyes were wide and trusting and Harry loved it.

"I misbehaved at lunch and wanted to rush off to find the horcrux on my own." Harry smirked at her.

"Correct. I want you to bend over the armchair and I want you to suck Draco's cock while I spank you. You're going to make him explode down your throat, but you aren't going to get to come until we say you can." Draco moved into position, vanishing his boxers. Hermione moved to lean over the arm of the chair and instantly lowered her head down to Draco's cock. She lovingly kissed and caressed it until she put it in her mouth and started to suck. Harry moved behind her and started to rub her arse softly.

"I won't make you count since your mouth is busy but you're going to get fifteen swats." Harry could see that her inner thighs were already wet, her cunt dripping its fluid to run down her legs. He reached down and ran his fingers through the liquid, shoving them in his mouth so he could savor her flavor. She whimpered at the action, making Draco hiss.

Harry raised his hand and brought it down on her right cheek, instantly pinking her pale and delicate skin. She jerked slightly, more in surprise than pain he was sure, he hadn't hit her very hard after all. He rubbed the pink area softly before bringing his hand down on her left side, causing another whimper. This time, he dipped his fingers lower and brushed her opening, unsurprised to find her dripping. He pulled his hand away and hit her a third time, this time equally between both sides.

He continued the torment, spanking her harder and harder each time, dipping his fingers inside her to find the soft spongy spot or going even lower to circle her clit. She was moaning around Draco's cock and the blond had his head thrown back, his hands buried in her hair. Harry was surprised that she was still able to concentrate on Draco when she was so obviously close herself.

Harry spanked her again, this time his hand landing directly on her pussy. He softened the blow since he didn't really want to hurt her, and it caught her puffy lips perfectly. She let out a low whine and quickened her pace on Draco's prick. The Slytherin began thrusting up into her mouth and Harry decided to let his hands play for a few moments since he only had one spank left. His hand slid down and gathered her moisture until his fingers were well lubricated. He brought them back up to her arse. He wiggled his fingers inside her, opening her up so one of them could fuck her in it.

She was moaning now but still working on Draco. Harry knew the second that the blond came, his eyes closed, and his head came forward, bowing at the sheer effort of not slamming himself into her mouth. Harry could see her throat working, swallowing down his seed. He brought his hand down one last time on her left cheek, his fingers still scissoring her arse. She made a slight choking sound and Harry worried that he shouldn't have hit her while she was swallowing.

Their princess continued to lick Draco, making sure that every drop of his come was gone. Harry was unsurprised to see that his best friend's cock didn't deflate at all, he was obviously still turned on. Once she stopped licking him, Harry pulled his fingers out of her and bent to press of kiss to her now flaming arse.

"Now we're going to switch places. You're going to suck my cock and Draco is going to lick your pretty little cunt until you want to scream his name. You aren't going to come though, not until we tell you that you can." Draco gave him a wolfish grin and rose from the chair, letting Harry take his seat. Hermione's arse was still high in the air and Harry could see that his friend couldn't keep his eyes off it.

Hermione lowered her mouth to his cock, treating it with the same tender care that she had Draco's. Harry settled in the chair as she took him completely in her mouth, making him hiss in pleasure. Her mouth was hot, wet, and wonderful. Harry knew the instant that Draco laid his tongue to her cunt; she let out a high-pitched whine and her hips started rocking back and forth. He saw Draco's hands reach out and grasp her hips, holding them still so she had no choice but to absorb the pleasure.

He was proud of her though, she never once stopped her ministrations to his cock. On every plunge, her nose would nestle in his curls, her tongue dragging its way back up to the head only for her to plunge deeply again. Her whimpers and whines continued, and they were music to his ears. It didn't take long for Harry to get close to painting her throat with his seed. Seeing her this desperate for him and Draco had a way of making him lose control. He threaded his fingers through her hair and held her down on his cock, releasing his come into her mouth and down her throat. She swallowed it all immediately, her throat clenching around him in a delicious way. Hermione licked him clean the exact same way she had Draco, making sure that there was nothing left of his seed on his shaft. Her breathing was erratic, and Harry could see that her legs were shaking with the effort it was taking to hold back her orgasm. He leaned forward and grasped her gently by the hair, lifting her head to see that there were actual tears streaming down her cheeks. Harry instantly felt terrible, he had never meant to make her cry.

"Come for us, Hermione, come all over Draco's tongue. I want to hear you." He didn't have to tell her twice. Her hands clenched on his leg and a string of profanities poured from her mouth. It was music to Harry's ears and he knew it was for Draco too. It seemed like she came forever but when she finally went quiet, she laid there limp over the arm of the chair. Harry leaned over so he could watch Draco lick her clean. It took several minutes but when he was finished, he stood and met Harry's eyes. He ran his hands through Hermione's curls, pulling one slightly.

"We're not finished with you, Princess. We're going to fuck you now." Draco knelt on the floor and gently pulled her down into his lap. Harry stood and knelt in front of her, opening her legs for Draco. Hermione was still boneless, but he could see her stirring in anticipation.

Hermione moaned as Draco worked himself into her arse, leaning her back against him so he could get the right angle. Harry reached out and stroked her clit softly, knowing that it was even more sensitive than usual. Once Draco was fully seated inside her, Harry pushed her completely against Draco, so he could line his cock up with her cunt. He pushed inside her slowly, not wanting to hurt her in his eagerness to fuck her. Her hands reached out and grasped his shoulders, her nails digging in and leaving marks. Her moans were almost enough to make him blow his load, but he put a tighter hold on his control.

Harry and Draco began moving inside her, moving at the same rhythm so she had double the pleasure. It was very hard to last long when they were in this position since everything was so fucking tight, but he and Draco performed admirably, he thought. Draco was bent down, sucking on her neck just below her ear and leaving small bruises in his wake. Harry reached out and tweaked her nipple roughly and her panting increased. They continued this way for several minutes before Harry knew he couldn't hold off much longer. Hermione was still thrashing and moaning but had not come for them yet. It was in this moment that Harry realized that he had told her not to come unless he instructed her to. Once of his hands left her nipples to reach down and frig her roughly.

"Come for us again, Princess. Flood our cocks with your juices." Once again, he didn't need to tell her twice.

Her pussy clenched around his cock, sucking his further in and refusing to release him. He heard Draco groan behind her and knew that his friend had blown his load in her arse. Harry followed their example and let his seed paint her cervix. She convulsed in their arms for almost a full minute before falling forward into Harry's arms. He chuckled softly as he pulled out of her, holding her up to allow Draco the room to do the same.

Once both were out of her, Harry swung her into his arms and carried her to the bed. Draco waved his wand and cleaned up not only himself but Harry and Hermione as well. He tucked her under the blankets on the bed, brushing curls out her face. She gave him a sleepy smile as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to make you cry." Draco gave him a startled look, but Hermione just shook her head.

"No, it's fine, I swear. It was supposed to be a punishment." Draco crawled in behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, so he could press several soft kisses to her bare shoulder.

"Princess, we don't ever want you to cry. Next time we drive you to tears, you say something." She shrugged her shoulders as her eyes fell closed.

"I couldn't even think, let alone speak. It's fine, I told you, I'm not angry. I enjoyed it very much." Neither boy got to say anything in return since it was clear that she had dropped off to sleep. They looked at each other for a few moments before they settled in the bed around her, holding her close to keep her warm. When Harry spoke, it was confident.

"We won't ever make her cry during a punishment again. I don't like how it feels." Draco nodded behind her.

"Agreed. I wasn't even aware that she was crying." Harry nodded.

"I think it was because it was taking so much effort to not come." Draco nodded softly, showing his agreement.

"Next time we'll let her come before the tears." Harry hummed his agreement this time and pulled Hermione impossibly closer to his side, Draco's hand resting on his stomach where he had thrown it over Hermione. He closed his eyes and laughed inwardly.

It was still considered early but he wanted nothing more than to sleep. Tomorrow they would speak with the Headmaster and start looking for the last horcrux. Sleep would not be a bad idea.

A/N- Once again, y'all, I apologize for how long this chapter took. I hope it met your expectations and you enjoyed it. Leave me your thoughts after beep, they make me smile. Review = love.

P.S. Another fic req that I just started and is completely amazing so far, The 8th Year by Holz9364.

Next chapter, meeting with Dumbledore and the search begins.

Love,

Alicia


	40. Chapter 40

A/N- I want to thank everyone out there that is reading and reviewing this story, y'all have made me so happy. The truth of the matter is that this is the downhill slide to the end of this story. Just nine chapters left. It makes me sad but I'm so excited to write the ending! For those out there that are looking for a good fic recommendation, try The 8th Year by Holz9364. It's a Harry/Daphne, Hermione/Draco story and it's deliciously funny and you simply can't stop reading it. I wish there was more smut, but nothing is perfect, lol. Anyways, to those that have supported me thus far regarding this story, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Disclaimer: The only thing that I own pertaining to this story is the personal plot twist that I've created. The characters belong to J.K.R. and anything that you recognize belong to either her or fanfiction writers that have come before me. Maybe one day I'll write an original story and make millions but until then, fanfiction will have to do.

Chapter 40

April 1, 1996

Draco could feel the happiness radiating off his girlfriend as they sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. While she had been sullen and irritable for the last five days, today was different since the Headmaster was finally present for the meal.

None of them had anticipated the Headmaster's business lasting five days. Hermione had been sure that it would be concluded in only a day, but Draco and Harry had both figured on two or three. The night before Hermione had ranted and raved that he was neglecting his duties here at Hogwarts since she knew that her father had informed him of their discovery and he still had not made it back home.

Their opinions on the matter hadn't changed anything, however, and they were still forced by Remus, Professor McGonagall, and Severus to wait to begin their search. Hermione and Harry had both been chomping at the bit since the day after the discovery, but Draco had been instilled with a much bigger capacity of patience. While the other two had ranted and raved, Draco had shaken his head in exasperation and just rolled with it.

All was forgiven, it seemed, once the pair realized that the Headmaster was present for breakfast. He knew that they were only eager to find and destroy the last horcrux aside from Nagini. Therefore, he watched in silent amusement as Harry and Hermione cleared their plates and then inquired as to their friend's lives.

Apparently, it was the twins' birthday and Hermione was wishing them well, telling them that she had a present for them back in their Room. Draco was unsure as to where she had gotten the gift, but he wasn't surprised. Harry was promising that he would be in the Gryffindor common room that weekend for their epically-planned birthday party. Draco couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that not only had he managed an invite to said party, so had Theo. He wasn't sure if he and Theo would attend but the invite had meant the world to him, not that he would ever admit it.

The bell rang, dismissing the whole school from breakfast. Draco's least favorite class was next, Herbology, and he could admit that he really wanted to skip. Hermione wouldn't allow it, however. She had cracked down on Harry and himself, demanding that they study more and attend all their classes. While it drove him crazy half the time, he also found it quite endearing. Hermione had officially gone study mad and she had insisted that Harry and Draco accompany her in her madness.

While Draco would usually do just about anything that made Hermione happy, he was also the first one to suggest a break or a distraction from the studying. While Hermione was quite happy burying herself in books for months on end to ensure a good grade, Draco was not. He needed breaks and proper motivation, not always something that just appeared out of nowhere. Even though Hermione had been personally affronted when he put forth the idea of slacking off from time to time, it had worked out well for everyone in the end.

Draco rose from the bench seat and helped Hermione to her feet. Harry gathered their satchels and gave him an encouraging nod, indicating that he should lead the way to their next class. The trio made their way out the Great Hall and the castle, their paces slowing as they matched the other students that attended their year. While Draco knew that the rest of Slytherin backed her, for the time being at least, it was clear the Gryffindors weren't nearly as tolerant. Draco knew that Ginny, Neville, and the twins had no problems with snakes that treated them well, but that said nothing for the rest of the class.

The trio made their way to Herbology, wending their way through the grounds with the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Draco kept his arm tight round Hermione's waist, noting the exasperated expression on her face as he led them through the crowds. He knew that the female Gryffindor had no reason to fear anything in the school but that didn't mean that he had lost the instinct to protect her. He was quite sure that that went the same way for Harry.

Once inside Greenhouse 3, Draco settled in his seat next to Hermione and Harry. Usually Hermione was in the middle when they took their seats, but this was the only class that he was. Draco could admit that he was grateful when Professor Sprout called for the attention of the class, the sooner the class the sooner it would end after all.

Their illustrious professor began lecturing about screechsnap, a plant that had grown at the Manor in it's gardens since as long as he could remember. Hermione paid very close attention because he doubted that she had ever seen it, let alone suffered its bite. Harry seemed to be as devout on his attention as Hermione was. Draco took his notes as he usually did, wanting to make sure that he had a flawless guide when his O.W.L.s came along but the class didn't challenge him in the slightest.

Sprout dismissed them to replant screechsnap and Draco sighed in boredom. It was clear that Hermione and Harry had never done so but his mother had lovingly planted every single plant in their garden and had made Draco help. The last thing that he needed was practice with screechsnap. Neville seemed to have no problems with the class whatsoever and Draco couldn't help but wonder if he had dealt with the plant at his own manor.

The class passed quickly once they had been dismissed to their practicals. When the last person transplanted screechsnap, Professor Sprout dismissed them. Draco was quick to gather his things just to turn around and wait for Hermione and Harry. He shook his head, exasperated, but he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it. He wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist as they left Greenhouse 3.

Since class had dismissed just a little bit early, they had time to wend their way slowly through the grounds and then the castle. Draco usually wasn't sentimental but for some reason today he felt as though his time at Hogwarts was ending for the year and he needed to savor every moment. Hermione and Harry seemed to realize what he was feeling, and he was eternally grateful for the fact that they didn't speak of it, simply let him wallow in his emotions.

As a rule, Draco wasn't emotional. In fact, he was the furthest thing from being emotional. This year had become different. Dating Hermione and Harry and realizing that the end of the war and possibly their lives had made it all more real and he suspected that he wasn't the only one that felt that way. Needless to say, he was thankful when neither Hermione nor Harry remarked on his obvious melancholy behavior.

The trio made their way to Charms next, a lesson that Draco could admit that he was excited for. While Potions would remain his all-time favorite, Charms would be a close second. His father would never approve if he followed a career in that subject, and Draco could admit that he had no plans to, but the fact remained that he enjoyed the subject immensely. He was still perplexed at the things that he and his father had seemed to overcome. Draco never had to worry about being physically punished again, he knew that he would be allowed to pursue whatever career he so chose, and this tolerance was laid at the feet of Hermione. His father absolutely loved her and not just because she was the Dark Lord's granddaughter. Lucius seemed to genuinely like her, maybe even Harry as well, and while Draco no longer needed his approval of his decisions, the fact that he agreed with his choices in life made it easier to breathe.

The trio settled into their seats in Charms; everyone around them was loud and unruly, none of them ready to learn. Honestly, Draco wasn't surprised. It was almost Easter break and their professors had been demanding that year, wanting them to do their absolute best of their O.W.L. tests. Professor Flitwick finally called order to the class and began his lesson.

Today they would be learning how to turn vinegar into water, a simple enough charm that Draco had mastered in his third year. Hogwarts normally didn't teach it until their sixth year, but he supposed that the class was far enough advanced that it warranted moving onto more advanced spells. Draco had always considered himself to be advanced for his age, his perfection of his spells and his general knowledge base corroborated it, but it was to an even greater extent this year. Getting into a relationship with both Hermione and Harry had strengthened his magic and gave him more power, making all his classes that much easier. The only class that remained unaffected was Potions but since that was his favorite subject, he still did well.

Even though it was a sixth-year spell, the class seemed to pick up on it quite well. Hermione, of course, mastered it on her first try, Harry on his third. Weasley and Brown were in their group, much to Hermione's dislike, but both remained silent unless it was necessary to speak. Even though it took them several tries, they too had mastered it by the end of class.

The class was dismissed with no homework since everyone had managed to correctly cast the spell before the bell. This usually didn't happen, and Draco could tell that the half-goblin instructor was thrilled. Draco gathered his things and waited for Hermione and Harry to do the same. Once all their belongings were packed away, their bags slung over their shoulders, Draco let Harry lead him and Hermione out.

His arm reflexively went around Hermione to rest at her waist. Draco was the first to admit that he usually wasn't physically demonstrative. He was usually aloof in public and treated the girls like objects in private, but everything was backwards with Hermione. He cared how she felt, he cared about how she was treated, so he did his absolute best to treat her like the princess that she was. Even though it was now clear that his father had never loved his mother, he continued to treat Hermione like his father treated his mother, like she was the center of his world. He wasn't sure what to think about the conundrum that was his father, but Draco could be thankful that his mother was treated well even though his father had no feelings for her whatsoever.

Draco traversed the corridors quickly with his mates. There really was no hurry but it appeared that Harry was in a rush to get to lunch. Draco could only chuckle softly in response. Harry finally let go of Hermione since she wasn't keeping to his pace and she fell back to lean heavily into Draco's side, completely uncharacteristic for her. She never showed the world a weakness and leaning most of her weight on the Slytherin Prince would definitely have been a perceived weakness. He smoothed his hand over her hair and kissed her hairline.

"What's wrong, Princess? You're never like this in public." She leaned further into his side but turned her head up to meet his eyes. She smiled before she continued her path through the corridors.

"Nothing is wrong, I just don't like waiting for things to happen and that's all that I feel we've accomplished in the last few days. After the first day or two I think we should have said hang Dumbledore." Draco chuckled and rubbed her shoulder.

"I know you do, Princess, but I also know that we have to cover our arses. The only way to do that is with Dumbledore. As controlling as he is, as much of a piece of shite that he is, nobody can deny that he is the best person for jobs such as these." Hermione sighed against him.

"I know, I guess that's why he pisses me off so much. He doesn't deserve to have this much power in situations like this." Draco kissed her forehead again as they walked.

"I know, Princess, I agree. However, there isn't much that we can do about it right now. We can only do the best that we're able until your grandfather is dead." Hermione nodded against his shoulder. She was silent for a long while, Harry ahead of them, until she finally spoke again.

"We need to come up with a plan for your father." Draco arched his brow at her, showing his confusion. She gave him a small smile.

"I know your father is guilty of a great many things, but the fact remains that we would never have found the horcrux at the Gaunt home without him. He's still spying for us. He also explained that the reason he rapes like he does is because he's fucked up from Voldemort's treatment of his beloved. I don't think that he should escape unpunished, but I also don't think that he should be sent to Azkaban. It's clear that he's wanted out for years and it's also clear that he's not prejudiced against muggleborns. We need to come up with a way that he'll be punished but not sent to prison." Draco had always loved his father, even if he had been a little scared of him. To hear his girlfriend wanting to protect him did something to him, something down deep that he wasn't sure what it was. His voice was unsteady when he spoke.

"That will have to be up to you and Harry. They'll never listen to a Malfoy." Hermione's eyes flashed at his words and Draco loved it.

"They will if they don't want my wrath rained down upon them." Draco flashed her a grin before turning serious.

"I'm not sure what to do with him. Obviously, he's helped but he hasn't been a spy for as long as Severus. You're the only reason he turned his back on that monster." Hermione leaned further into him as she considered her words. It was several corridors later that she finally responded.

"He may not be a good man, but he has still turned his back on the most powerful dark wizard of our time. The same dark wizard that drove him to be the person he is today. Maybe I can convince whoever is in authority that he could serve his time in therapy sessions at St. Mungo's. That would be far more beneficial then Azkaban. I don't think that he was near the monster that he is today before Mara was raped and murdered." His arms went around her shoulders and held her close as he considered her words.

His father had been a bastard for as long as he had known him, but Draco had never truly considered why he was the way he was. It was clear that his father wanted Hermione's respect, so he had shared the story of Mara with them all. After hearing the story, Draco had been heartbroken at the mere thought of losing Hermione in the way that his father had lost Mara. Draco couldn't quite say that if he had lost Hermione in the same way that he wouldn't end up a monster either.

It was for this reason that he agreed with Hermione's words. His father was guilty of many crimes, that was more than true, but since he had revealed his story, it was clear that his father hadn't been the person he was now when he had been seeing the muggleborn that had stolen his heart. His heart ached slightly for the amount of love that his girlfriend had for those that were done wrong no matter what side they were on. To be honest, the situation made Draco re-evaluate just what his father had gone through and how much he could identify with the same events. He pressed a kiss to her hair line as he spoke.

"I think that's a great idea, Princess. I would be forever grateful. Don't get me wrong, my father has always been a complete prick but after hearing his story I'm not entirely sure that I wouldn't be either after going through what he did. I don't think I would be sane if I had to watch you raped and murdered." Hermione snaked her arm around his waist and hugged him tightly.

"I understand but you need not worry. Now that my power is full strength, they would have to kill me before they could ever harm me." Draco chuckled at her words. It was such a Hermione response that he couldn't help but laugh.

"I know, Princess, but that doesn't mean that I won't worry. Look at the Weasel. He hurt you terribly and even though I understand that it was before your power was at full-level, it still worries me." She went to her tip toes and pressed a soft kill to his cheek.

"I know, I understand. That you care means so much to me. I was told for years that nobody would ever care for me, that nobody would ever love me because I was ugly and a bookworm. I really do appreciate it." Draco knew that there was nothing that he could say to erase the words or the insecurities that were so strong because of the words. Therefore, he pressed another kiss to her head.

"I understand but you have to know that Harry and I love you with everything that we are. We will always support you and we'll always be there for you." She squeezed his waist but said nothing else. Draco could tell that she was touched but he wasn't going to pressure her into speaking. The last thing that he wanted to do was upset her.

The three of them entered the Great Hall and took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table. The twins were laughing animatedly, and Ginny and Luna were huddled close together and snogging. Hermione cast the pair a smile but then turned her gaze to the unexpected visitor. Theo had approached from the Slytherin table and taken the seat next to Draco, so he could eat with them. Even though this had occurred a few times before, the table still fell silent at his actions. Draco didn't understand since the Gryffindors seemed to like Theo and bore him no ill will.

Hermione seemed thrilled that her brother had joined them for lunch. She began an animated conversation with him about the plans that the twins had made for their birthday. Even though today was their actual birthday, they wanted to wait until the weekend, so they could celebrate it properly in the form of a full-blown party in the lion's common room. Even though Theo was a snake at heart, he seemed to have a soft spot for the twin terrors and was sad that he was going to miss their party. The twins and Ginny had been listening in and at his words, Fred and George couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Theo, you and Malfoy are the only snakes to ever be invited in the lion's den. Don't make us regret extending this invitation." Draco could see that Theo's face was lively with anticipation.

"Oh, there is no way that I'm going to turn down being the first Slytherin in ages to see the inside of your common room. Do you think we'll get in trouble?" Hermione shook her head.

"I doubt it. The professors have been trying to promote house unity for ages and the first step would be inviting those of another house to a common room or a house party. I think it would be fine, if Professor McGonagall even notices." Draco chuckled to himself at her words He knew for a fact that the old bat would notice if he and Theo entered their common room, but he wasn't going to say a word. The way to making more friends in the lion's house was not by insulting their Head of House.

Lunch passed quickly, the conversation more interesting since Theo had joined them. As a group, they talked quidditch much to Hermione's dismay. She finally got irritated with the whole scene and pulled out her Defense Against the Dark Arts text. Draco felt just a little bad for driving her out of the conversation but nobody else seemed to and truthfully, she didn't seem that broke up about it. She seemed quite happy to review her chapter for the next class, so he let it go.

-O-

The bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. Harry and his two mates all had a free period next and he understood that Hermione was going to drag them to the library to study as she usually did. Even though he was more than tired of studying, Harry knew that he needed to continue with the practice if he wanted to score all O's on his O.W.L.s. He knew that he wasn't as intelligent as Hermione and Draco but that didn't mean that he didn't want to do well on his testing.

The trio left the Great Hall, Theo joining them in the corridors since it was clear that he had no class to get to either. Harry still wasn't sure what the Headmistress had been thinking when she scheduled the Gryffindors and Slytherins most of their classes together, but it remained a fact that it wasn't going to change. Harry could only be grateful that they no longer seemed to have a problem with Harry and Hermione making for a much more peaceful co-existence. The same could not be said for the other lions, however.

The found their usual table in the library and settled in quietly. Generally, they did like to study the same subject so if there were any problems they could get help without problem. Even though Hermione hated working on Transfiguration at the same time as the others because it distracted her from her much more advanced study she agreed to study it today since the others all had homework in that subject.

Harry, Draco, and Theo all worked silently on their essays that were due the following day. Harry couldn't help but be just a tiny bit jealous of the fact that Hermione didn't have to perform any of the in-class assignments and she didn't have to turn in any essays. He realized, however, that even though he would love to enjoy the same perks that she did, he was nowhere near the level that she was in the subject. Transfiguration truly was no effort for her.

He and Draco both finished their essays, Theo all but. After an hour and a half, the bell rang, and the foursome gathered all their belongings and such and stowed them in their bags. Defense Against the Dark Arts was next and Harry was excited. The subject was by far his best, it seemed to come to him just as Transfiguration came to Hermione and Potions came to Draco and it was a much more enjoyable class since Remus had taken it over. They traversed the three floors between the library and the Defense classroom, joking with Hermione, Draco, and Theo as they walked.

Once they reached the classroom, Theo split off from them and joined Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise. This made him wonder just how much close the Slytherin was to the other snakes and how upset he would be with Hermione when he discovered that she had been lying to him about everything. He knew that Hermione didn't necessarily like the Slytherins, but she surely didn't hate them any longer. Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by one of his father's oldest friends beginning the lesson.

"Today we're going to learn about a nifty spell that shrinks your opponent's head. While it isn't very high on the list of offensive spells that you could use, it can still be handy in a duel. Let's practice the wand movements now."

Harry already knew this spell, so he settled back in his chair and simply watched. Remus was known to assign an essay or two but for the most part he was a hands-on type of professor and the class loved him for it. They practiced the wand movement and repeated the spell before they were split into groups. Since it was Remus and he knew the history between the three of them and Ron, he never put them together in practical work. Instead, Harry and Draco were paired with Parvati and Lavender while Hermione was paired with the four Slytherins.

Harry could tell that Hermione was less than pleased with her two mates being paired with the Terrible Two, especially since the truth had been revealed about his history with them. The Gryffindor couldn't say that he regretted his time with them, per se, but he was wasn't completely happy with the decision either. At the time, it had been great. He hadn't had feelings for Hermione yet and he was firmly in the belief that he was going to die in his fight with Voldemort. He had wanted to experience life to the fullest and that meant sexually as well.

Their trysts had started just before the Yule Ball, first with just one of them at a time. He had made sure to clarify that he wasn't going to date either one of them and they had been perfectly fine with just shagging The-Boy-Who-Lived. He had been pleasantly surprised when they had surprised him one evening in the Prefect's bathroom while he had been bathing. They hadn't given him much of a chance to reject him, not that he would have at the time.

He had thoroughly enjoyed every second they had spent together, that was no lie, but the expectations were higher now since he had been with Hermione and the pair no longer measured up. He regretted that his decisions made with cock had hurt Hermione and that she was constantly tormented by the girls. He had also been with Lisa Turpin but to his knowledge she had been nothing but kind to Hermione since she had learned of their relationship. The whole situation made him realize that he had never been happier that Hermione had never slept with anyone before himself and Draco.

Harry could still recall how gob smacked he had been when he saw Hermione enter the Yule Ball on Krum's arm. He had loved her as a dear friend before that, he had always quoted that it was the love of a sister, but that night had changed everything. It was in that moment that he realized that while she had always been pretty to him before, she was beautiful and very much a young woman. He had wanted to drop the Terrible Two that very moment, but he hadn't thought that he would ever be good enough for her and she would never return his feelings.

Harry watched as Draco performed the spell flawlessly, shrinking Lavender's head to one-tenth it's normal size. The two lightly flirted with them both but Harry ignored them wholeheartedly, as did Draco. He caught Hermione watching them several times and he didn't blame her. The two Gryffindor girls had tormented Hermione on several occasions and his girlfriend had low self-esteem. She didn't see the wonderful person that he did when she looked in the mirror.

Both he and Draco successfully cast the spell even though the two girls struggled with it; Harry wasn't surprised. Neither were very gifted when it came to spells. Their talents were more in line with Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. He watched as Hermione shrank her brother's head and he in turn cast the spell on her. Remus had been happy to come and watch them all perform the spell, so they could return to their seats.

Harry caught the tail end of the conversation between Hermione and the Slytherins. They had invited her and her two mates to eat dinner with them at their table. While he wasn't too excited at the prospect, Harry knew that she needed to accept occasionally. She would never keep the Slytherins as allies if she didn't make an effort. He heard her agree reluctantly before taking the seat between himself and Draco again.

It wasn't long before Remus called attention back to the front of the room and congratulated them all for mastering the spell quickly. He assigned a ten-inch essay on what kind of situations the spell could be useful in and sent them on their way. Harry made sure to throw him a smile and a wave before he followed Hermione and Draco on their way out of the classroom and towards the Great Hall for dinner. Once outside in the corridor, Hermione reached out and took his hand while wrapping her other arm around Draco's waist.

"Pansy and Daphne asked the three of us to eat with them at dinner and I agreed. I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, I should have." Harry chuckled at the very Hermione response. He leaned down and kissed her temple.

"It's fine, 'Mi, you have to accept here and there to keep them on your side of things." Hermione snorted.

"You think they're on my side. They could be saying that and just waiting for me to fuck up and die. They're Slytherins, they could just as easily be playing me." Draco barked out a laugh that reminded her of Sirius, bringing the fact that they were closely related to the forefront of her mind.

"You're one hundred percent correct, Princess, never trust a Slytherin that you don't know like you know yourself." Harry laughed at his words.

The trio entered the Great Hall and after waving at their Gryffindor friends made their way to the Slytherin table. Harry knew that Hermione wasn't a huge fan of Pansy or Daphne because of their past with Draco but she did her best not to hold it against them. They hadn't been mean or nasty at all about the situation which was really throwing Hermione off, but she shouldn't have been surprised. She was in a position very high above their own and pissing her off wouldn't have done anything but cause problems for themselves.

Hermione settled down next to her brother and he leaned over to kiss the top of her head. Harry and Draco sat across the table from her sandwiched between Blaise and Miles Bletchley. Everyone seemed surprised at Theo's blatant display of affection, but nobody voiced it. Hermione reached out to grab the bowl of shepherd's pie, so she could spoon some out for herself. Harry did the same for himself before handing it off to Draco.

Conversation flowed easily around them, much easier than he would have expected. He and Draco were caught in an exchange with Blaise and Miles about this year's prospects for the World Cup. Hermione was bantering back and forth with Theo, Pansy, and Daphne about their classes and professors. Harry was surprised to find that Pansy was especially skilled at Herbology while Daphne excelled at Charms. Both gave off the impression that they weren't very smart, that they had been raised to be a trophy wife. It was a reminder that you should never judge quickly.

Pudding had just appeared on the table when a school owl swooped down through the windows and landed before Hermione, offering her his leg. She removed the note from his leg and shoved her bowl towards the bird, so he could finish up her shepherd's pie. After unrolling the note, her eyes scanned the paper more than once before she lit it on fire without her wand. When she lifted her head, she gave him and Draco a small smile.

"My father wants to speak with us after dinner. Have you two done something that we've gotten in trouble for?" Harry knew that she was giving them a story if anyone asked the Slytherins. He put on his innocent look as did Draco.

"We are angels, there's nothing that we could get in trouble for." Hermione raised her brows at them but remained silent.

Conversation carried on around them until the end of dinner was signaled by the bell. Harry watched in thinly veiled amusement as Hermione huffed and puffed, muttering under her breath about boys that caused trouble and brought her down with them. Most of the Slytherins seemed to buy her act, Theo being the only exception. Harry knew that he was going to be a problem at some point, but he didn't want to have to think about it at this time.

Harry sent the Slytherins a genuine smile after they had rose from the table and started for the entrance of the Great Hall. He had a feeling that they were destined for the Headmaster's office.

-O-

Hermione was sure that the Headmaster wanted to see them regarding the location of the final horcrux. Even though she had told Harry and Draco that her father wanted to see them, the note had really been from Dumbledore, requesting their presence after dinner to discuss details. For once, Hermione didn't mind; she was more than ready to actually begin searching.

They reached the griffin and waited patiently for the statue to move out of the way. It took only seconds before it was moved, and the staircase descended from the tower that the Headmaster resided in. Hermione had both Harry and Draco's hands clenched in hers, her anticipation levels ridiculously high. She didn't even wait for the door at the top of the stairs to open before bursting through it.

Hermione was unsurprised to see Sirius, Remus, her father, and Professor McGonagall seated around the fire, tea in their hands and amiable expressions on their faces. This boded well for the conversation that was about to occur and Hermione was thrilled. If there was one term that explained how she felt about the night's events it was excited.

Truth be told, Hermione wasn't usually one to be led by impulse or to jump into things too quickly and without thought. This, however, was different because of what was at stake. She was well aware of what kind of monster her grandfather truly was but there were times when she didn't want to destroy him, that she wanted to try to rehabilitate him. It wasn't logical but that didn't change how she felt. She knew that they sooner that they got on with it and finished the mission the less conflicted she would be.

Dumbledore waved the three of them to the sofa before the fire. Remus and Sirius shared the loveseat next to them while Professor McGonagall, Severus, and Dumbledore took the armchairs. She couldn't help but wonder offhandedly if there was something going on between Sirius and Remus. She had never seen either with a girl and they seemed as close as Harry and Draco. The only difference was that they weren't sharing a girlfriend like Harry and Draco were. She allowed the thought to be shuffled to the back of her mind for further thought when all attention focused on the Headmaster.

"Tell me, Harry, how did you find the last horcrux." Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that the other adults had told him, but he was going to waste time by getting the story firsthand. Did he think that the three adults present besides himself would lie to him?

Harry explained how he had been distracted when he paced the corridor before Barnabas the Barmy, originally hoping that the room they used as a bedroom would appear. Once he had entered the unknown room he had been able to feel the horcrux just like he had been able to in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts's. After explaining the story, Harry fell silent and waited for judgment from their Headmaster. Instead, Dumbledore was silent for several minutes, putting every further on edge with each passing second.

"I think that you're on to something, Harry. Are you quite certain that you can make the same room appear again?" Harry nodded his head and Hermione clenched his hand in hers.

"I made sure that I could before I ever told Hermione and Draco what I had found." The Headmaster gave him a brilliant smile.

"I feel that the only thing left to do is begin our search. Before doing so, however, I feel as if I should extract promises from our three youngest guests that they will only look for the horcrux when adults are present. It would be terribly difficult to explain if things should go wrong and there were no adults present." Hermione rolled her eyes at this speech again. Hadn't the one from her father been enough? She was quick to nod her head as were Harry and Draco.

"We promise. Can we please go search now?" The adults in the room chuckled at her eagerness as Dumbledore nodded.

"Yes, we will all go search now. Disillusionment charms for everyone so we aren't discovered by innocent students." Hermione nodded eagerly and rose to her feet, forcibly dragging Harry and Draco both to their feet. They both chuckled at her softly, watching in interest as the other adults rose and gathered their wits about them. Hermione bounced on her heels and made sure to keep her cool as the rest of them gestured for the three teens to lead the way.

This wasn't Hermione's story to tell so she grasped Harry's hand and nudged him, so he would step forward and lead. He seemed surprised at the fact that she wanted him to take charge, but he supposed that she wasn't going to be the one to take the glory for finding the last horcrux. Harry rolled his eyes at the sentiment but didn't say a word. Hermione smirked to herself as she followed Harry through the corridors and towards the seventh floor.

Once before Barnabas the Barmy, Harry stopped and waved everyone back, so he could pace before the tapestry. Only a minute after he began, a door appeared, and everyone seemed surprised, including the Headmaster. It was in this moment that Dumbledore wasn't nearly as knowledgeable as he acted on a day to day basis. The eight of them entered the room without further ado and Hermione was astounded at the sheer amount of junk that was visible in the room. Sirius broke the silence and for once the older animagus mirrored her thoughts.

"How will we every find anything in this mess?" The Headmaster seemed dumbfounded and it was clear that he had no words to admit that Harry had been right all along.

"I can feel the dark magic, I know the horcrux is here like Harry said. I just don't know how I never happened upon this room before." Hermione shrugged her shoulders since she really didn't care. All she cared about was that Dumbledore hadn't found it, leaving it to her and her mates to take care of which was highly annoying.

Draco devised a plan between everyone, splitting them into pairs that would serve everyone equally. Harry and Draco were paired together while Hermione was with Professor McGonagall, Sirius and Remus were together and her father was unfortunately paired with Dumbledore. As soon as they had split up to search, Hermione could hear her father and the Headmaster arguing but there was nothing for it.

After the stand warnings that nobody seemed to pay any attention to, Dumbledore waved for his companions to begin their search. Hermione had been thrilled at first, nearly dragging Professor McGonagall around with her. The older witch had seemed slightly amused, but Hermione paid her no mind. The four pairs searched the Room of Requirement for over three hours finding absolutely bloody nothing.

Hermione was tired, sweaty, and irritated and she wanted nothing more than to fall into bed. If they had only started earlier their time would have passed quicker and they could have possibly found the horcrux. Hermione dismissed the excuses in her mind as exactly that, excuses. The four pairs made their way to the front of the room for a last meeting before they all retired to bed. Dumbledore looked just as tired and disheveled as they rest of them.

"We obviously had no luck tonight, but we will return tomorrow and every night after this until we do find it. We must not become discouraged because it is likely that this feat will take a while. Tomorrow, we'll meet in the corridor outside this door, disillusioned. I may see if Kingsley, Moody, and Arthur can join us to help us look. Seven p.m. sharp." Hermione nodded her head before Sirius opened the door to the Room, letting everyone file out of the Room of Hidden Things.

All the professors and Sirius floated away and left Hermione, Draco, and Harry their own devices. Since it was almost midnight, the Gryffindor paced before Barnabas one last time for the night, making their door appear. The trio was silent as they entered their room and began to strip off their clothes. Hermione didn't bother with her nightly routine in the loo, she simply stripped to her knickers and fell into bed. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep. Harry and Draco didn't speak as they stripped to their boxers and joined her in bed, their arms finding their way around her as they did every night.

Hermione fell asleep that night, the arms of her beaus wrapped tightly around her and hope in her heart that the war would be soon be drawing to a close.

-O-

Severus sat in his quarters, a glass of fire whiskey in his hand, staring into the fire. Remus and Sirius had just left, having joined him for a nightcap before returning to their respective quarters and homes. They had discussed the impossible task before them, finding the horcrux within hundreds of years of junk. The task was just made worse by the fact that he had been paired with Albus, scheming bastard that he was.

Since the Headmaster's secrets had been outed by his daughter, it was a struggle for Severus to deal with him for a long period of time. Sure, his father was a scheming old bastard as well, but at least he was honest about it. Severus knew exactly what to expect from his father while Albus acted like a kindly grandfather as he fucked your life up. Sirius and Remus felt the same way, as did Minerva; Severus had never been happier that his daughter had demanded that he resign as Headmaster as soon as the war was over. With any luck, this would be Albus' last year of tenure.

Albus had spent the whole time they had been searching muttering under his breath about how he had known that the horcrux had been in the castle the whole time. Severus had snorted to himself since it was clear that the old man was trying to convince himself rather than Severus since his voice was so low that the Slytherin had barely heard him. He knew that the Headmaster wasn't going to go down as easily as Hermione hoped, that he would kick, scream, and cause a fuss before he was shuffled out of the castle and it worried Severus to no end.

Albus had had no problems kidnapping his daughter and doing whatever he liked with her, he had known that Harry Potter was being abused in his home and had done nothing. He had been more than aware that Sirius had been innocent and even though he was the head of the Wizengamot, he had thrown the man in Azkaban without a trial. The biggest betrayal aside from his daughter being taken was the fact that he had made Severus take an Unbreakable Vow to spy for him. If he was capable of all those things, who was to say that he was capable of other horrible things to remain powerful once the Dark Lord was gone? Severus knew for a fact that he was going to want to soak up the glory and would lie, cheat, and steal to be able to do so. Severus just had to make sure that his daughter wasn't caught up in the crossfire when it happened.

The world had been thrust upon her shoulders just as it had been done to Potter. It wasn't fair, and she should have been able to enjoy her childhood without worrying about spying and hunting down pieces of her grandfather's soul. She should have been able to just be a kid and worry about nothing more than failing a test and telling her father about it. He wanted to tell himself that as soon as the war was over he would make sure that she had that; Severus knew this was lie. Hermione had already matured past her time and just because the threat would be gone didn't mean that she would be able to regress and forget that she had been responsible for so many things.

It made Severus sad to consider since it was her childhood that had been sacrificed but there was nothing he could do about it now. Her childhood had been sacrificed years before he even realized that Hermione Granger was his. As much as he wanted to blame Potter for dragging her through his adventures, he knew that his daughter was just as much to blame. She had proven time and time again that if she wanted to do something then she was going to do it regardless of what anyone else said to her.

It was with a heavy heart that Severus drained his fire whiskey and rose to his feet, so he could make his way to his quarters. It was late, and he needed to sleep since he had an early class in the morning. He pushed the depressing thoughts out of his head as he fell into bed, kicking his shoes off as he got comfortable. He sighed once more, worked on clearing his mind so he could ensure a deep sleep, and eventually, let sleep claim him.

A/N- There she is, folks, another chapter down. This took me just a little longer than I had planned but real life stepped in. My birthday was Friday and my family insisted on taking me out to dinner. Yesterday, we went to a little town bout half hour from my little town and watched eight hours of street drags. It was great, but I'm fried crispy now. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter even though it was kind of a filler chapter. Let me know what you think, your reviews make me smile (((:

Next chapter, Theo discovers her secret and the horcrux is found.

Love,

Alicia


	41. Chapter 41

A/N- I have returned once again, my friends. I have no good excuse this time, only me getting caught up in a story. Even though I tell myself I'm going to be good and write, I manage to end up finding a good story and reading. It's killing me! Lol. Anyways, I've noticed that I've lost a lot of my usual reviewers. Have I offended y'all? While I make no guarantees that I will change what I write or how I write it, I still like to hear what you think. It was because of a reader saying they were blindsided by my torture scenes and such in past stories that I now use trigger warnings. Anyways, enough of that, I'm ready to start writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. I'm still not sure why I put these on every chapter. I tell myself that it will be fine when I begin a story but then twenty chapters in, I'm over it. Y'all know who the characters and story line belong to and it definitely isn't me!

Chapter 41

April 5, 1996

Hermione picked at her breakfast. She wasn't that hungry even though she knew that she should eat. They were going to be looking for the horcrux again today, the fifth day in a row with absolutely no luck. It was wearing on her and she was getting more frustrated by the day. Her father and her boys reassured her that they would find it, that they would destroy it before she had to come up with a plan to kill Dumbledore but that didn't mean that she wasn't getting just a little bit worried.

Last night had been the twin's party in the Gryffindor common room. It had been a nice distraction for a few hours but even then, the drama that had occurred had put a dampener on the fun she had been having. While Dean and Seamus had learned their lesson not to judge her for who she was dating, that didn't mean that the rest of the House was pleased that two snakes had been invited into their den.

Surprisingly, none of the fifth years had complained. Hermione had expected something from Parvati, but Lavender must have warned her just what Hermione was capable of. She couldn't say that her year group looked happy, but they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Instead, it was a group of sixth and seventh years that started complaining about Draco and Theo's presence. These particular students also didn't attend the D.A. meetings, so they had no idea that these two Slytherins didn't single out Gryffindors anymore. Hermione would have thought that they would buy a clue since it was the twins that had invited them but apparently not everyone was blessed with intelligence.

The Gryffindors had threatened to get McGonagall and Hermione had laughed in their faces. The twins had watched in amusement as she handled the situation, more than happy to let her be a part of the entertainment. It had earned them both a stinging hex to their backside, but they still swore that it was worth it. After telling the older students to go get Professor McGonagall, that she would love to have their Head of House weigh in on the argument since she was promoting inner house unity, the students had begun bad-mouthing Draco and Theo.

Hermione had allowed it for a few moments, thinking that they were just being sore losers and that they would move on. This wasn't the case, however. When they started detailing what her brother did with animals and what her boyfriend did with his mother since purebloods were so inbred, Hermione let her temper fly. She had hexed every single one of them to varying degrees. The ones that had remained silent during the insults received only stinging hexes while those that had slandered her family received various animal parts attached to their bodies. Her favorite was Katie Bell with udders and a cow's tail, unable to speak because she was too busy mooing.

Hermione had expected them to snitch to Professor McGonagall, but they hadn't so far. Or at least her Head of House hadn't spoke to her about it yet. She supposed that that was still a distinct possibility, but she doubted that they had told. They would have had to admit that a fifth year had bested them and that they had been saying horrid things about other students. The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was certainly frosty but Hermione brushed it off as unimportant. Her house mates would either get over it or they wouldn't. Frankly, she had far more important things to worry about besides what her fellow Gryffindors thought about her life choices.

Harry nudged her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned and gave him a soft smile, showing that she wasn't angry for the interruption. He smiled back before gesturing for her to look towards the Slytherin table. Theo was no longer seated there, in fact, he was striding over to the Gryffindor table, a determined look on his face. She smiled at him but was slightly surprised when he didn't return the gesture. When he reached the table, he didn't waste any time getting to the point.

"Can I speak with you in private, Hermione? It's important." Hermione cast a glance up to the clock on the wall and saw that they were due to start looking for the horcrux in an hour. She turned back to her brother and smiled before she looked to Harry and Draco.

"I'll meet up with you guys as soon as I can. If I'm not there in time, tell everyone that I'll be there when I can. Don't worry about me." Harry seemed to trust her words, but Draco looked suspicious. It was clear that he didn't trust Theo and what his intentions were. Hermione couldn't blame him. To this point, Theo had seemed completely happy that his sister supported the Dark Lord. She knew Draco was thinking about what her brother would try to do to her if he suspected that she was double-crossing them all. She rubbed a hand down Draco's arm.

"It'll be fine, I promise. Remember Bellatrix." Her voice was low enough that nobody aside from Draco could hear it. His words back were equally as soft.

"I remember Dolohov quite well." She chuckled softly and kissed his cheek before turning to Harry and kissing his cheek as well.

"See you guys after a while." They both nodded and turned back to their breakfast.

Hermione rose from the bench seat and shot her brother another smile, once again, for him not to return it. She followed him, his pace fast enough that she was having trouble keeping up. Her hand reached out and grasped his elbow.

"Slow down, Theo, my legs aren't as long as yours." Even though he slowed his pace just a little, he remained silent.

Hermione continued to follow him out of the Great Hall and up three floors into a classroom that she had never been in. Once inside, her brother put up silencing charms and wards to make sure that they weren't bothered. His actions made her realize that this was where it was going to all fall apart. He knew that she wasn't loyal to her grandfather and she was going to lose him forever. Her eyes pricked with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She had known what she was doing when she agreed to play this part, she had known the consequences. That didn't mean that she had to like them, however. Hermione took a seat in one of the chairs, silently transfiguring it into a squashy arm chair while her brother paced. Hermione couldn't take the silence any longer.

"What's wrong, Teddy? Please talk to me." He sneered her way, something that he hadn't done in months, and Hermione knew for certain then. His words, however, surprised her.

"Why should I talk to you when you don't talk to me? All you do is feed me shit and keep me in the dark. Did you think I was too stupid to work it out? Did you think that you could fool me?" Hermione didn't want to tip her hand and admit to anything that he could tell her grandfather. She put a confused look on her face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Theo. You need to start making sense." Since he had just passed the desk, he reached out and grabbed the cup that the professor had obviously stored quills in and threw it against the wall. Hermione couldn't help but jump slightly since she had never seen her brother this angry before. When he turned back to her, fury was clouding his eyes.

"I know you aren't really loyal to the Dark Lord. I've gotten to know you for the past however many months and there is no fucking way that someone as moral and perfect as you would be okay with making people slaves and killing muggles. You told me yourself that you loved your muggle parents. You're faking so you can take him down and you're lying to everyone, so you can do it." It was clear that Theo knew exactly what was going on. This didn't stop Hermione from getting angry and indignant herself.

"You think you know a lot of things, Theodore. Just what proof do you have? You know you better have more than just an opinion before you take it before your Lord. That's the beauty of it, he won't believe a word against me without proof." She probably shouldn't have said that, but she was past the point of caring. He had every right to be angry that she had lied but he had no right to speak to her like he was. She deserved a little bit of respect.

Hermione watched in disbelief as his shoulders slumped and he hung his head before turning to face her again. He suddenly looked very tired and she was quite certain that this conversation had been weighing on him for quite a while. She felt guilty for that, she had never wanted to make him suffer because she had to keep her secrets. When he spoke, his words were almost too quiet for her to hear.

"I don't want proof. I want to help you." To say that she was astonished would have been an understatement. She had no idea if she could trust her brother. She wanted to with all her heart, but she was also realistic enough to know that this could be a trap to discover her plans and put a stop to them. She was silent for a long time, studying her brother and trying to decide what to do. He finally raised his eyes and met her gaze.

"Please, Hermione, let me help you. He ruined my family. My father wasn't always like this, he used to be happy with my mother before I was born. He's the one who ordered my mother to let Severus bed her and bear him a child. My father is the one who suffered the embarrassment of that and then the pain of my mother dying after giving birth to me. I don't condone his actions at all, in fact he's been a right prick my whole life, but the Dark Lord is the reason he is the way he is. I want to take him down and make sure that he can't hurt my family anymore."

Hermione could see the sincerity in his eyes and in that moment, she knew that he wasn't lying. He really did want to help, and she couldn't have been more pleased. This being said, however, there was no way that she could just bring him into the fold and tell him everything without safety precautions in place. The Headmaster and her father would have her head if she did so. This left only two options and she didn't like either one of them. After heaving a deep sigh, she nodded.

"You have two options, Theo. I can obliviate you, so you don't remember any of this and you won't have to worry about making the decision to betray your father. I'm very skilled in the mind arts so you wouldn't have to worry about me fucking up your brain. Your second option is that I tell you everything and you get to help but only after making an Unbreakable Vow to me that you will be silent to everyone else about what is going on. I trust you not to betray me but there are other people that are putting their lives on the line and I won't take that chance with their lives. The choice is yours, I suggest you make is wisely." Theo's eyes bugged out just a little at her words. He was clearly not expecting her to say those things to him but there was nothing else that she could do. She wouldn't risk her father's life or Lucius' life just because she decided to trust her brother with hers.

Her brother was silent for a good ten minutes, obviously considering his options. Hermione was glad because an Unbreakable Vow was nothing to joke around about. Her father had been under the influence of one and she had hated the thought of it. However, he hadn't had the choice and she had very clearly given Theo the opportunity to back out of this conversation if he didn't want to pursue it. When he had made his decision, it was clear. His eyes brightened, and he stood straighter.

"I'll make the Vow. I'm doing this of my own free will so don't even think about feeling guilty. Get out your wand and let's do this." Hermione chuckled at his enthusiasm, not bothering with her wand.

The Gryffindor stood and grasped her brother's hand tightly before meeting his eyes. He looked confused at the fact that she hadn't drawn her wand but remained silent.

"Do you swear to keep everything that I tell you in confidence, that you won't tell a single person that isn't already informed of the situation through words, writing, or actions?" Theo squared his shoulders.

"I so swear." Hermione continued.

"Do you swear to keep the secrets of others involved, that you won't betray their trust to others through words, writing, or actions?" Theo nodded.

"I so swear." Hermione gave him a soft smile.

"Do you swear to not hinder our mission even if you don't agree with it, that you will take no action against us?" Theo smiled back.

"I so swear." Hermione could feel the strings of the bond tighten around her wrist and she was sure that Theo could as well. It was on the verge of being painful.

"So mote it be." The invisible bands around their arms snapped and there was nothing there now. Hermione released her brothers hand and took her seat in the arm chair once more. She waved her hand at one of the other chairs and changed it into a chair to match her own. Theo took the hint and sat, his eyes now wary. She gave him a smile.

"Now it's story time."

Hermione started at the very beginning. She explained her muggle mother dying and how she hadn't been able to donate a kidney to her, how she had died in her arms. She told him about Ron asking her out and how she decided to ask Professor Snape to brew her a paternity potion. She got teary-eyed when she explained finding out the results and how she had run, about Ron's attack on her and how Draco had found her and took her to the Hospital Wing

Hermione detailed the beginning of their relationship and the two prophecies from the Headmaster, the fact that Severus turned spy a month or so before she was born. Theo had been irate that Dumbledore had kidnapped her and put her with muggles. He learned of Harry's reaction to the fact that he was the one that was supposed to kill Voldemort.

Once she had told him how it all began, Hermione told him of learning occlumency and legilimency from her father, the many hours of lessons that she, Harry, and Draco had endured since she was to meet her grandfather. She informed him that she had surpassed her father and Dumbledore in the mind arts and that she had broken through both of their occlumency barriers. She told him of the Headmaster's secrets that she had already shared with the others, careful to keep the others to herself. They were, after all, how she was going to get the Headmaster to leave Hogwarts once the war was over. Theo was rightfully disgusted at the old man's actions but kept quiet, so he could hear the rest of the story.

Theo looked ill when she explained about the horcruxes and the fact that her grandfather had made so many. She detailed the locations of the ones that they had found and just what kind of obstacles they had had to get through to retrieve them. She told him every detail of finding Draco in his room with Bellatrix and what she had done to evil bitch. Hermione was also happy to tell him that they were currently searching for the last horcrux at that time there in the castle.

When she finally came to a close, Hermione realized that she had been speaking for over two hours. In fact, it was almost lunch time, but she knew that the group in the Room wouldn't be stopping for lunch. Theo was still silent, processing all her words. She decided that she should still offer obliviation in case he wanted out of the whole situation.

"If you don't want any part of this, I can still obliviate you. It's a lot to take on and it might just get you killed. It's a fine line to walk." Theo snapped his eyes up to hers.

"Fuck no, I don't want obliviated. I want to go help search." Hermione threw her head back and laughed.

"I was excited to go search as well. Five days later, I'm tired of searching and just want to find the damn thing." Theo stood and held out his hand to pull Hermione to her feet. Once they were both standing, she gave him a smile.

"We can go but I'm warning you that there are probably going to be some angry people that I told you." He nodded but she could see the twinkle in his eye.

"You can blast them like you did my father if they throw too much of a fit. It's pretty clear that you're in charge now, not Fumbledore." Hermione laughed.

"Fumbledore?" He nodded as he waved his wand at the door to the classroom.

"All he's done so far is fumble around and fuck shite up. Things have been getting accomplished since you took over." Hermione laughed again.

"Let's try to keep that term between just us. The last thing we want is to give the Headmaster another thing to bitch about."

The pair left the third-floor class room and Hermione led them to the seventh floor. There were several students in the corridors since it was a Saturday, but nobody paid any mind to Hermione walking with Theo anymore. It had become common place and Hermione couldn't have been happier. Since Harry had shared his thoughts when he had discovered the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione was the one to pace before Barnabas the Barmy. When the door appeared, she and Theo hurried through before they could be seen by any of the students coming and going from the Gryffindor common room.

The pair could hear shouts around the room, everyone calling out to the others that they hadn't found anything yet and that they were moving on to the next pile. It just so happened that today the whole gang was there, Moody, Arthur, Sirius, and Kingsley had taken time from their day-to-day lives to come help search. They had done this twice now and it was clear that they were just as frustrated as Hermione was with the situation.

Since she had no idea where everyone was, Hermione took Theo's hand and pulled him to where she and Arthur had left off the night before. They didn't see a single person since they were all ensconced in their own piles of junk spread out across the Room. She did wave her hand and conjure her patronus, the cute little fox that she had come to love and sent a message to her mates and her father that she had arrived and that she was going to begin searching. She said nothing about Theo being there since she felt that that was something that needed to be discussed in person.

Hermione warned Theo that if they found the horcrux, just touching the item would feel wrong and dark. There would be an aura around it that warned you as to how dangerous the item was. He nodded his understanding and Hermione figured that he probably had enough dark artefacts in his home that he probably knew more about the feel of them than she did.

They searched for hours. Hermione was unsure as to what time it was, but it was clear that it had gotten late since her stomach was now growling. She could hear Theo's as well, but he seemed determined to press on. Hermione knew that she needed to continue searching but it was getting harder and harder to not become disheartened. When she finally cast a tempus charm, it showed that it was now half past six in the evening, meaning that they had missed dinner now as well. She was instantly distracted from her thoughts by a shout from Theo.

"I think I found it, Hermione." He had just moved to the next pile and there was a small table on the edge of the pile. One side of the table was loaded with ancient books that looked as if they had been eaten by bugs years ago. On the other end of the table was a statue head of someone that Hermione didn't recognize. Perched on the statue's head was a diadem. Hermione moved closer and she could feel the darkness radiating off the tiara, but she had to touch it to make sure. Theo watched her with worry in his eyes as she reached out and grasped the silver object.

An overwhelming sense of wrongness spread through her and it was more than clear that this was the horcrux that they were looking for. Even though the object in her hands wanted to make her throw up, she threw her brother a smile.

"You did it, Teddy, you found the last horcrux." He flashed her a smile back and watched as she waved her hand and conjured her patronus again. The fox appeared and darted between her legs and jumped off the piles of junk all around them. Hermione couldn't help but to laugh softly at her patronus' antics.

"Go to everyone in this room and tell them that we found the horcrux and to meet at the door."

The pair started back the way they had come. It had been hours, so they were much deeper in the room than they had been at the beginning, but Hermione had made sure to mark her way back out. She wouldn't be surprised if someone had gotten lost in here over the years. As they walked, Hermione gazed at the diadem and was surprised at what she found. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." This had belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and had been lost since the founder had died. She couldn't help but wonder exactly where her grandfather had found it. It really was too bad that they had to destroy another piece of history.

When they reached the front of the Room of Hidden Things, everyone else was already there waiting for them. The looks on everyone's faces ranged from shock to betrayal. Her mates didn't look happy, neither did her father for that matter, but it was Dumbledore that looked livid. Hermione held up her hand before he could speak.

"I understand that I owe all of you an explanation and you will get it. Right now, however, let us focus on destroying this piece of soul. Who wants a go?" She turned to her brother.

"You want to have at it? You found it." She could tell by the looks on everyone's faces that they were not expecting that Theo was the one to find it. She saw a grudging respect from Moody, which she would admit surprised her. Her brother shook his head.

"No, I've just now been brought into this fight. Why don't you destroy it, Sis? From what I understand, all the others have had the honor. It's your turn. This is your fight above anyone else's besides." Hermione didn't know what to think about his words. It was true that her father, Draco, and Harry had all destroyed a horcrux. She was also aware that the horcruxes had fought back in the worst way possible and to be honest, she wasn't sure that she was ready to face her greatest fears. However, Sirius and Remus were both nodding their agreement. Hermione sighed. She supposed that it was her turn, and, in that moment, she hated Dumbledore. Why hadn't he taken a turn?

"Alright, yeah, I'll do it. Who has the sword?" Harry stepped forward, Sword of Gryffindor hanging from his fingertips. He made it look so light and easy to handle but Hermione had a feeling that she would never want to handle that sword again. She reached out and took it and was surprised at how delightfully light it was. Hermione set the diadem on the floor between them all and stepped forward while everyone else stepped back. She could see the worried expressions of Harry, Draco, and her father's faces but she tried not to let that deter her.

The Gryffindor gave no warning when she lifted the Sword of Gryffindor and brought it down as hard as she could on the Ravenclaw's diadem. The Sword whistled through the air and for a moment after the tip of the blade hit the tiara, she thought that she had gotten off easy. This was not the case. A large black cloud of muck rose in the air and took shape before her, whispering softly in words that she couldn't understand. It seemed that the horcrux knew who she was since the whispers that she could finally hear were in parseltongue.

"I have seen your heart, granddaughter, and it is just like mine. You are destined to take my place and rule the world with a boot on the throat of society. Keep your mates close but watch them, they only love you for what you can bring them. They will turn on you in a second flat if it will benefit them. You are ruthless, and you will do well as my heir."

Hermione dropped to her knees and did her best to not believe what the horcrux was saying to her. She could faintly hear Harry yelling at her that none of it was true, that he and Draco loved her, but she barely registered his voice. Was it possible? Was she just like her grandfather had been when he started down the path of the dark? Was she destined to be as cold and ruthless as he was? Would Harry and Draco still love her if she was?

The Sword of Gryffindor clattered to the floor next to her and she buried her face in her hands. The diadem was still hissing at her, telling her of all the heinous acts that she would do, all the lives that she would take and revel in. Her hands moved to her ears and she could feel the tears slip down her cheeks. She wasn't sure that she could finish off the horcrux until the she felt someone's arms wrap around her shoulders and a voice whispering just loud enough in her ear that she could hear over the hissing.

"Hermione, you're the strongest witch I know. I don't know what that noise is saying to you, but don't believe it. You're better than everyone in this room and there is nobody else that deserves to kill a horcrux more than you. Give me your hand."

Hermione recognized her brother's voice. She trusted him with her life, so she gave him her hand and squeezed her eyes closed as tight as she could to try to block the hissing out. Her hand wrapped around the hilt of the Sword and she felt him helping her to lift it. Realizing what he was doing, she opened her eyes and helped him. The pair of them together brought the Sword up and then down as hard the pair of them could on the diadem, silencing it forever.

Once the hissing was gone, Hermione let go of the Sword of Gryffindor and let it clatter to the floor once more. Everyone else was silent as Hermione silently wept at what had come out of the diadem. Her brother kept hold of her hand until her father reached her side and took her in his arms, surprising everyone there except for Harry and Draco with his gentleness.

"Shhh, sweet, it won't ever say those things to you again. I don't know what it said but it wasn't true. Don't cry so. Theodore was right, you are the best of us." Hermione did her best to let his words wash over her and convince her that his words were the truth, but it was difficult. She knew that what the horcrux had told her were her greatest fears and she couldn't help but fear that they were the truth no matter what anyone told her. She snuggled further into his chest, using the comforting scent of his robes to calm her down. When she was no longer hitching with sobs, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to make such a scene." Her father kissed her forehead and her brother squeezed her hand. It was Theo's voice that spoke next.

"We're family, that's what we're supposed to do is be there for each other." Hermione half cried, and half laughed her response.

"It's a good thing because I don't think that I could have finished it without you." Nobody else got a chance to speak before Harry spoke up.

"I know exactly what the horcrux said and you can be one hundred percent sure that nothing it said is true. You aren't a monster like he is, you won't commit the atrocious acts that he has, and Draco and I aren't using you. We love you with all our souls and we will follow you wherever you lead." Hermione barely held another sob back at his words. She nodded into her father's chest as she spoke.

"I know but it's so hard to believe that when something else is telling you the opposite." Harry chuckled, soon joined by Draco.

"Trust me, we've both been in your shoes. We understand."

His words reminded her that they had indeed been in her shoes before and they knew exactly what she felt. The horcruxes that they had destroyed had messed with their minds as well. To be truthful, she now felt foolish for letting it get to her so easily. Harry had brushed it all off as if nothing had even been said. She hung her head even lower. It was her father that spoke.

"What's wrong now, sweet?" She let all her weight fall onto her father now.

"You've all been through this and none of you have fallen apart. I suppose that I'm just feeling a bit weak at the moment." This time is was Draco that spoke and he didn't sound happy.

"I have an idea of what that thing told you and I guarantee you that it was nothing close to what the horcruxes said to us. I'm betting that it told you that you were a monster, that you were going to be just like your grandfather and there is nothing further from the truth. You could never be the monster that he is, you care too much about humanity. Fuck, you care about house elves and how they're treated, nobody cares about them." Hermione huffed a laugh into her father's robes before turning her attention to the room.

"Thank you. I should be braver than I am at the moment, I'm a Gryffindor after all, but those who have destroyed one before me know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that those things prey on your weaknesses." There were soft laughs all the way around and Hermione levered herself out of her father's arms. She flashed him a grateful smile before she turned the same smile to Theo. Her brother seemed ecstatic that she had destroyed it and they were now only one horcrux from the finish line. She rose to her feet and made sure to cast a hard glance to the Headmaster because she knew that the inquisition about Theo knowing was about to begin. Harry and Draco moved to her side and they were quick to wrap arms around her waist and shoulders. Moody was the one to open the argument, something that she shouldn't have been surprised about.

"I want to know why a Nott knows the secrets of the Order of the Phoenix." Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes but barely.

"He knows our secrets because he is one of us. He wants my grandfather to fail in his quest just as much as we do. He has a personal reason which isn't something that all of us can claim." It was Harry that spoke next.

"Don't you think that him knowing should have been a group decision? We should have met and discussed letting him in on the secret, he shouldn't be allowed to just run free with the information." Hermione couldn't believe that he thought that little of her, that she would throw away the Order's security on her brother. Before she could speak, Draco spoke.

"I love you, Theo, but I know that all your life you've been loyal to your father, you've never even looked somewhere that your father hasn't approved. How are we to trust that you haven't just told Hermione what she wants to hear and passed the information to the Dark Lord?" Severus spoke up next.

"Hermione would never jeopardize our win against the Dark Lord, surely you must know this –" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Harry started next.

"Hermione, you have to know that the Dark Lord is going to plant spies along the way. You have to be careful." Hermione wanted to scream at the lot of them for doubting her judgement, but she didn't think that it would get them anywhere. None of them had even asked if she had taken precautions; she knew that they would be beyond surprised to learn that she had taken the most serious precaution of them all. There was nothing that could beat the Unbreakable Vow and she had been very thorough when she had worded it. Instead of burying her head in her hands like she wanted, Hermione met the eyes of her Order mates.

"I have never betrayed you and I never will. I would never have brought Theo on board if I hadn't thought that I could trust him." This was where the Headmaster stepped in.

"Theo, please excuse us. We need to discuss your involvement at length and we can't do that with you here. I'll be placing a charm on you –" He didn't even get to finish before Hermione stepped forward.

"You will not obliviate him. If you cast that charm on him, I promise you that I will cast it on you and you won't remember your fucking name." It seemed that her threat soaked in because nobody else said a word. Hermione gestured for her brother to leave, hoping that she could keep everyone else from commenting. Once her brother was gone, only her father remained at her side. Dumbledore was the first to attack.

"I can't believe that you would leak this information to the opposing side, Hermione. Yes, your brother has a good heart, but it is loyal to his father. He will never keep your secrets." Hermione was instantly pissed off, but she did her best to reign in her temper. She knew that her allies had no idea what to think of her and her brother, but her mates had a bit of an inkling of what she felt and thought. It was Harry that spoke next.

"Is there a reason that you didn't ask our opinions on letting Nott into our extremely secret mission?" Hermione met her mate's eyes and gave him the most honest expression that she could come up with.

"I made sure that nobody could deceive us as long as someone was honest and loyal to our cause." Even though Hermione knew the spells that protected their secrets nobody else did. She was fully ready to share with everyone else. She didn't get a chance to before anyone else spoke. It was spoke that Draco that spoke.

"We aren't sure just what you want from us. We've done all we can to ensure that we will have a victory and you let people in on the secret that have no business being in on it." Hermione wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do aside from let the facts out to those that she cared about most. This didn't help the fact that she felt that her mates weren't supporting her in her decision. She just couldn't help the betrayal she felt at the fact that her mates didn't trust her enough to ensure that she could trust anyone that she brought into the fold. Hermione straightened her shoulders and met the gaze of Albus Dumbledore.

"Before I touch on the information that I gave Theo, I want to point out that as Voldemort is my grandfather, this is my information to disseminate, not yours. Everyone person in this room is someone that I trust. Do you truly think that I would suddenly add someone to the group without trusting them as well? It hurts to know that every single person in this room thought that I was betraying the cause by being loose with my lips. I will have you all know that I made Theo swear an Unbreakable Vow to never give away any information that has to do with anything I tell him or anything that he suspects of others. It is your fault for not trusting me. If you had only asked I would have told you the precautions that I put in place to protect ourselves."

Hermione waited in silence for those gathered around her to speak but there was nothing in the several minutes that followed her speech. When she could finally take the silence no longer, she sighed and met the eyes of her father, the only person who hadn't cast a negative word her way.

"I suppose that you'll all need whoever knows how long to come to terms with the fact that I've added another Slytherin to the group. You know, you all go on about how prejudiced the snakes are but so far the only ones that I'm seeing as prejudiced are us." She didn't wait for anyone else to speak, just left the Room of Hidden Things by the main door. It clicked softly behind her and there was nothing else that she could do to influence events once she was gone. She sighed softly before she started down the seventh-floor corridor.

Her mates were angry at her and to be honest she was angry at them. Why hadn't they given her a chance? Why hadn't they believed in her? They should have known that she would never bring someone in on the secret of what they were doing if she wasn't one hundred percent sure of what she was doing. Their lack of trust in her hurt, that she couldn't deny, but she did her best not to think about it. She waited several seconds for those in the room to file out and maybe come to their senses, to apologize to her for assuming the worst of her, but it didn't happen. She hung her head when she started down the corridor, away from the room that she shared with Harry and Draco. She was surprised by a shout out of nowhere.

"Hermione, don't leave." It was her father and he was begging her not to leave. She could hear the desperation in his voice, but it was clear that he wanted her to hang around and deal with the problem. She turned at his words and her weary gaze met his.

"I can't handle it if you hate me too." He strode forward and wrapped her in his arms again.

"I told you that I wouldn't abandon you again. If you made him make an Unbreakable Vow, I trust you." She couldn't keep the tears from leaking out the corners of her eyes as she rushed forward to wrap herself in his arms.

Hermione couldn't help that she was supposed to be the strongest person on their team. When faced with being completely alone and her father, she couldn't help but choose her father. Neither Harry nor Draco had left the Room of Requirement and she couldn't help but feel the loss of them quite keenly. Her father held her close to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, you can sleep in my quarters. I'll have dinner sent down to us." Hermione didn't want to sleep away from her mates but there didn't seem to be many options. The last thing that she wanted was for them to lay there and judge her all night while she was trying to sleep. She nodded at her father and let him lead her towards the dungeons.

Hermione didn't pay much attention to her father and where he was taking her. She simply held onto his robes and let her lead him. Never in a million years did she think that her mates wouldn't want her, that they would disapprove of her and her actions but there was nothing that she could do about it now. Her stomach growled angrily at the fact that she hadn't ate since breakfast, but it would have to make due until she could get in front of food in her father's quarters.

Once he had muttered the password to enter his quarters, her father led her to the sofa that was situated before the fire. He took her cloak softly, not wanting to distract her from her thoughts. There wasn't much that she could say to him regarding her situation; she should have known that nobody would trust her to look out for their best interest.

The next thing she knew, there was a cup of hot tea being pressed into her hand and she smiled softly at her father. He smiled back and settled in the arm chair before the fire, situated just next to sofa that she was occupying. There was silence for almost half an hour before her father finally broke it.

"What did you make him swear in his Vow?" Hermione met his gaze and saw that he was serious. Since he would be the number one person to suffer if his secret was let loose, she felt that he had the right to know.

"I'll put the memory at the front of my mind. Just watch it, it can tell you better than I can." She met her father's gaze and could feel his mind probing at hers. She shoved the memory to the forefront of her mind and let him view it. It took only a few minutes before he withdrew and smiled at her softly.

"You did well, sweet. He can't wiggle out of that Vow and I will be safe." Hermione grinned at him.

"I knew that it would keep him quiet. I wasn't ready to sacrifice you and Lucius. It's one thing if he knows about me being a traitor but I had to make sure that he couldn't put your life in danger." Her father seemed flabbergasted that she had put his safety before anyone else, but he didn't comment on it.

Hermione remained silent while her father called a house elf to his quarters and ordered dinner for the two of them. She would never admit it, but she was starving, and she couldn't wait for the food to arrive. The silence would have been deafening anywhere else but when it was with her father it was simply comforting.

The house elves delivered their meal and Hermione was sure to thank them for her meal. She ate quickly since she felt like she was starved. Once her plate was cleaned, there was nothing keeping her from getting comfortable on the couch. Her father smiled indulgently at her and nursed a glass of fire whiskey as she almost fell asleep. She was just on the verge of sleep when there was a knock on the door. Her father went to his feet and went to the door.

"What can I help you two with?" Hermione knew that it was Harry and Draco at the door, but she really didn't think that she had it in her to deal with them just now. There was soft murmuring behind her that she couldn't understand but she was quite certain that her father was telling them that they could see her tomorrow. Once her father left the door and took his seat once again, she raised an eyebrow his way. He smirked at her before speaking.

"It was your mates. They were worried about you. I assured them that you were safe and that you would come to no harm while you were with me. They made me promise to watch after you and tell you that they weren't angry no matter what impression they gave earlier." Hermione couldn't help but to smile to herself. The last thing that she wanted was for them to be angry with her, but it was good to know that they would come crawling the second that they thought that she was angry.

The fact of the matter was, however, that she wasn't angry. She had been hurt that they hadn't trusted her to make sure that they would be safe, they had been the first to think that she had unwittingly told Theo all their secrets without putting any safeguards in place. If they had asked, she could have taken it with little to no offense but the fact that they hadn't said a word to her twinged a little. Hermione nodded at her father sleepily and kicked her shoes off her feet. She laid sideways on the couch and settle her cheek against the pillow, her eyes closing once she was settled.

Hermione felt her father settle a blanket around her and press a kiss to her forehead once she was comfortable. She smiled softly, relishing the affection from her father. She gave no further thought to those that were angry with her and let herself fall into a peaceful slumber.

-O-

Harry regretted his reaction with all his might. He wished that he had been able to show Hermione that he trusted her. He did trust her, he knew that as fact, but it had taken longer for him that usual to make the connection and come to the conclusions that he should have immediately. Draco felt terrible as well, neither one of them wanted Hermione to feel like they didn't trust her.

He had just spoke with Professor Snape and he had confirmed that Hermione was in his quarters with him and would be staying the night since she didn't feel like she had the proper amount of support. His heart hurt at the Professor's words but there was nothing he could do about it if she was ensconced in her father's quarters.

Harry and Draco had settled into their bed in the Room of Requirement, both in their boxers and both feeling terrible. Harry knew that they needed to stick together if they were going to convince Hermione that they weren't angry with her. They were both aware, but it was a touchy subject since they were both at fault. Once they were settled, Harry finally spoke.

"Are you angry that she told Theo?" Draco shook his head in the dark even though he knew Harry couldn't see him.

"No, I just didn't know what to think at first. I don't mistrust her, I just had to get used to the idea that she had told him." Harry also nodded even though Draco couldn't see it.

"Same here. She probably feels like shite since she things we're angry. How are we going to convince her that we aren't?" Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose just tell her the truth. There really isn't much else that we can do." Harry sighed at his answer. As much as he hated the answer, he knew that it was the truth. He simply hated hurting Hermione.

"I guess you're right. I hope that she forgives us." Draco snorted next to her.

"Me too. I suppose that we better go to sleep. That way we can be up early and waiting for her in the morning." Harry smiled to himself.

"I agree. We're pretty shite mates though. She faced that horcrux and the things that it said really affected her. She needed us tonight." Draco huffed into his pillow.

"I know. You know this makes us complete pieces of shite, right?" Harry chuckled at his friend even though he really didn't find it funny.

"I know. One of the many things we can apologize for." Draco murmured his agreement and Harry rolled away from his friend.

"Til morning where we grovel before her." Draco's tone was soft.

"Til morning."

-O-

Severus sat in his armchair and watched his daughter sleep. It was one of the only times that he had ever been able to do so, and he relished the circumstances that made it possible for him. He knew that neither Draco nor Potter was angry with her, but it made him feel better that he was the one that was there to comfort her. He didn't get the chance very often since his daughter was already grown and almost an adult, so he had to cherish the moments when they came along.

He would never admit that at first, he had been terrified that she had told his secret without a single safety measure in place. After he watched the memory in her mind, he realized that he truly could trust her to protect him and his identity. That thought made him want to hold his daughter close and stroke her hair all night long, but he didn't think that she would appreciate waking up like that in the morning. Therefore, he would make due with watching her fall asleep until he felt the urge to find his own bed.

Severus sipped his fire whiskey as he contemplated the day's actions. They had found the last horcrux, thanks to Theo Nott, and Hermione had destroyed it. While he wasn't sure exactly what the hissing had told her, he knew that it was telling her that she would turn out just like his father and that her mates didn't really love her. While he couldn't claim knowing his daughter for long, he knew her well and knew that they were her worst fears. The last thing that he wanted was for her to believe those words.

Theo had helped her where nobody else had. He had spoke to her in her ear and made sure that she was able to grasp the Sword of Gryffindor in her hands. He had helped her lift it and then helped her bring it down on the diadem, which is more than Severus could say for himself. The last thing that he had wanted to do was to face another horcrux. If he had been a good parent, he would have offered to face the diadem in her place.

There was nothing he could do about now, however. The time was past, and he supposed that he should be glad that her brother had been there for her. In all honesty, it was more support for Hermione, so he really had nothing to complain about. The clock struck behind him, telling him that it was past ten o'clock and that he needed to go to bed. The day had been long and there was nothing he wanted more than to go to bed.

Severus tucked the blanket around his daughter even tighter and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he headed to his bedroom. He stripped off his clothes and let them fall to the floor at the side of his bed. He flopped down on his bed and made sure that he set his wand alarm to make sure that he would rise in time to make sure that they were at breakfast on time.

Without another thought, Severus closed his eyes and his last thoughts were of the fact that his daughter was spending the night with him rather than with her mates. It was the things that good dreams were made of.

A/N- Boom, another chapter down. I'm happy to say that I finished this chapter in one day and hopefully I can post it in the same day as well. For those out there that enjoyed the chapter, I'm glad to hear it. For those that didn't, better luck next time. A big thank you to those that sent birthday wishes my way! Leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me smile.

Next up, a plan for Dumbledore's demise.

Love,

Alicia


	42. Chapter 42

A/N- Hello again, my lovelies! We are back for chapter 42. Seven chapters left after this one, I truly can't believe it. It's been a wild ride, that's for damn sure. I know it's been ages since I updated but my life is insane right now. Lots of doctor appointments, end of school year meetings and parties, field trips and play days, mother-in-law's surgery, not to mention my daughter and her damn foot problems. Thank you for being patient. To everyone that is reading and reviewing, you're the bomb. Thus far, LOL has been my favorite story to date, but this story is quickly taking its place. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Special shout out to Robin1977 for being my 1100th reviewer. You da bomb! **

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing in this story except my own personal plot twist. The characters and any other elements that are recognizable belong to J.K.R. and fanfiction writers that have come before me.

Chapter 42

April 7, 1996

Hermione let the boys lead her through the corridors on their way to Charms. Breakfast had been pleasant, surprisingly so, since she had cursed the sixth and seventh year lions that had had a problem with Draco and Theo at the twin's birthday party. She wasn't sure if they were plotting revenge against her or if they were just letting it go but she decided to just be thankful for small favors and take what she could get.

Harry and Draco watched her out of the corners of their eyes. They had been very attentive since their brief argument Saturday night. Hermione had ended up staying in her father's quarters until dinner the night before because she wanted to be able to gather her thoughts before the confrontation that was sure to lay before her, but she was pleasantly surprised when she finally emerged from her Severus' quarters.

*Flashback*

Hermione stood at the door to her father's quarters and took a deep breath, readying herself for what she knew was waiting on the other side for her. She didn't have to look at a map to know that Harry and Draco were waiting for her in the corridor beyond the door. She was no longer angry or hurt at their actions; their lives were just as much at stake as hers were, so they had every reason to question and make sure that she was taking every precaution. She still wished that they had trusted her enough to just know that she wouldn't jeopardize their safety, but she supposed that nobody was perfect, least of all herself. Her father's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"As much as I love having you here and as much as I love having you all to myself, you must go apologize to them. I'm not sure why you fret so. They will forgive you and you will forgive them." She chuckled softly at her father's words.

"I know, Dad. I just hate fighting and truthfully, I hate the making up even more. It's so exhausting." He laughed and came up behind her, so he could rub the length of her arms with his large hands. He kissed the back of her head before he spoke again.

"I know you don't like it, sweet, but you're going to go out there and make up with your mates because if you don't then you'll be miserable. We both know that so stop stalling and go out there and take care of business." Hermione laughed outright at her father's words before she turned and hugged him quickly.

"Thank you for dealing with me." He kissed her hairline this time.

"It was no hardship, now quit stalling." She flashed him another grin before stepping out of his arms and opening the door. She stepped out into the corridor and hadn't made it five steps before Harry and Draco materialized. She wanted to giggle at their completely predictable nature. Without even saying a word, they both took one of her elbows and pulled her into one of the hidden alcoves. Harry was the first to speak.

"We're so sorry, Hermione, we should have known -." Hermione cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"You don't have to apologize. I should have acknowledged that you both have just as much risk involved in this endeavor as I do. If my grandfather found out that either of you were disloyal you would be in far more danger than I would be. I shouldn't have said those things. It hurts that you think I wouldn't put safety measures in place, but I understand why you said the things that you did." Draco bent and captured her lips with his, hardly letting her catch her breath before Harry stepped forward and took his spot. Hermione just let it happen because as angry as she was the night before at them, she had missed sleeping with them terribly. When Harry finally released her, she grinned softly as she opened her eyes.

"Are we all made up?" Both boys laughed and pressed kisses to her cheeks.

"All made up."

Hermione reveled in the arms that found their way around her, hugging her close and tight. They stayed that way for several minutes without moving, just holding each other close and reacquainting themselves with each other. When they finally pulled apart, Hermione smiled at both of her mates.

"Let's go to dinner."

*End of Flashback*

Hermione let her mates lead her into the classroom and let her take the middle seat at their table. She settled in and began to pull her text and parchment out, readying herself for the class before her. Professor Flitwick had told them that they would be learning how to etch designs into stone, so Hermione wasn't too excited since she was quite certain that she would master this spell as quickly as the others that she tried. Their triad magic really did make a difference. They all had noticed an increase in not only power but in their abilities.

Hermione sat back as their half-goblin professor entered and called for the attention of the class. He began his lecture without further ado and Hermione took her ever-diligent notes. Since it was only a single class period, their professor didn't lecture long, otherwise they wouldn't have had enough time for the practical part of the class. She wasn't worried about the fact that there hadn't been much lecture time; the charm didn't seem like it was going to be difficult even if she hadn't had her triad magic backing her own.

Professor Flitwick split them into groups of six since there were a limited amount of stone slabs to work with. Hermione found herself paired with Harry, Draco, Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise. It wasn't ideal since she had a tough time dealing with both the Slytherin girls, but the experience went well. Much to Hermione's surprise, everyone mastered their spell on the first try. She wasn't sure if that was normal but when Blaise saw the astonished look on her face, he smirked in her direction.

"You couldn't possibly have thought that just because we were snakes that we were too stupid to accomplish a spell like this on the first try." Hermione tried not to show her embarrassment at the fact that she had thought exactly that.

It was prejudiced of her, she supposed, to think that because they were snakes they weren't intelligent. She wasn't sure that was exactly how she felt, but she had truly believed that the Slytherins were far too enamored with furthering their positions than doing things for themselves. She should have known better, though, since Draco had been the only person to ever give her a run for her money when it came to academics. Hermione decided that honestly was the best policy.

"It wasn't that I thought you were stupid, it's just that you always seem more interested in gathering allies and plotting against each other to worry about academic." Draco snorted at her words before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Those words are very true, Princess, but it's also a well-known fact that Slytherin are ambitious. That doesn't just mean in our social dealings." Hermione ducked her head, embarrassed, so she wouldn't have to see their smirks. Draco reached out and lifted her chin to see that nobody was smirking in the slightest. In fact, the three Slytherins were speaking softly between themselves and Harry and Draco were smirking at her. She shoved both in the chest.

"Oh, both of you blow it out your arses." Harry and Draco burst into laughter at her words. It lasted for several seconds before it finally subsided. Draco hitched one last laugh.

"We don't hold it against you, Princess." Hermione threw her quill in his face as she spoke.

"Since you think it's so funny, you two are now going to accompany me to the library next period and I'm going to make you study the whole time. No quidditch talk." Both looked horrified at her words, but she could tell that they were just giving her a hard time. The others had since tuned back into their conversation and the Slytherins were now laughing at their predicament. To make matters worse, she leaned forward and narrowed her eyes.

"You're going to study Transfiguration too. No complaints." Both of her boys dropped their heads to the table and began lifting them up, so they could crash them back down on the surface. Pansy and Daphne both laughed at them, calling them pussies since they were going to do exactly as Hermione told them they were going to. Hermione knew that they would have told her no if it was something serious, but she also knew that Transfiguration was the subject they studied the least and that they would benefit from the extra study time.

Class ended in much the same way that it had begun. Hermione regathered her things from her desk and tucked her perfect notes away with the rest that she had filed away for her class. Hermione couldn't help but wish that her classes were more challenging, but she supposed that there wasn't much that she could do about it. Professor McGonagall was the only professor to offer for her to take her N.E.W.T.s early even though she felt like she could probably take them all early. She supposed that it was for the best since if she tested out in her fifth year they would expect her to leave Hogwarts behind. She couldn't do that while both Harry and Draco were both still attending.

Once class dismissed, Hermione dragged both her boys to the library. They took their usual seats at her favorite table and she glared at them until they opened their books. She had learned long ago that while they acted as if they were annoyed with her actions, they weren't really, they were simply trying to give her a hard time. Therefore, she felt no shame whatsoever in shoving books in front of their faces and making them study.

Theo joined them shortly after they sat since he was also on their schedule. Nobody spoke even though Hermione was sure that Theo was interested in her mates' opinions on the fact that he knew their plan. Hermione thought that it was rather well thought out that nobody acknowledged their feelings, they simply acted as if they weren't there. They were in the library of course and the last thing that she wanted to do was make a scene. Until ten minutes before the end of the period, however, when Theo broke their content silence.

"I'm hurt that my sister kept something this big from me, but ultimately I understand why she did. I can't say that I understand your reaction, Draco. It hurts knowing that my best mate and the man dating my sister would think me capable of throwing them over simply because my father's lord would wish it of him." Hermione had told her brother and her father that Theo was sure to feel betrayed at the fact that not only had Hermione not trusted him with the truth, neither had his best mate. She felt her heart sink at his words but kept her head held high. Draco looked slightly guilty as he gazed upon his best friend.

"I'm sorry but you have to understand that I doubt everyone in this situation. If the wrong person knows anything not only am I dead, Hermione and Harry will be as well. Severus too, probably my parents as well. This whole situation is only working because of our ability to lie and fool the darkest wizard of our time. I understand that you're upset but I don't feel bad. This isn't just a school yard secret, this is a secret that could kill more people than just me." Hermione couldn't help but agree with her mate, but she didn't want to bring herself into the conversation unless she had to. This felt like something between friends and they probably wouldn't appreciate her inviting herself into their conversation. Theo sighed after several moments and raked his hand through his hair.

"I'm still a little hurt but I understand. The last thing I want is for any of you to die and I can't begrudge you the right to make sure that that isn't going to happen by me knowing your secret." Hermione stood and floated into her brother's arms. His instantly came around her and held her close. Her voice was almost a whisper when she spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you by keeping the information from you." He chuckled and kissed her forehead before he spoke.

"Nonsense. You did what you had to. Besides, it was clear that you're now on the shite list of the Headmaster. Who knows how long you'll be in the doghouse?" Hermione laughed for a moment before she pulled away.

"He can't keep me in the doghouse long if he wants to be a part of my plan to kill him. Whatever I come up with by tomorrow night will be the plan whether he agrees or not, so he best get over himself." Harry and Draco both burst out in laughter while Theo looked surprised that she would speak the way she had of the Headmaster.

The bell rang before they could expound on the conversation any further. Hermione was quick to gather her things and shove them back in her satchel. The group of four made their way out of the library and towards the Great Hall, lunch first and foremost on their minds. She smiled to herself as she felt both Harry and Draco wrap their arms around her waist.

The pair entered the Great Hall together and by this point in their relationship, not many people cast them a second glance. Hermione couldn't have been happier at that fact. They took their customary seats at the Gryffindor table and her boys were quick to pile her plate with food. She shouldn't have been surprised since this is what they did at most meals, but she still found herself in complete surprise when they tried to take care of her.

The meal passed quickly, nothing of importance occurring. Hermione was surprised since there was usually something that came up. She wasn't complaining in the least, just happy to have a meal pass in relative normality. It didn't take long for the bell above them to ring, signaling the end of their lunch hour. The trio stood and gathered their things, one of the few times that they weren't all headed in the same direction.

Harry was headed to Divination while she and Draco were going to a double Arithmancy period. Harry stepped forward and pressed a kiss to her temple before shooting Draco a smile and leaving the Great Hall to head in an opposite direction of Hermione and Draco. Theo left, bound for Divination as well, something that Hermione just couldn't understand. Her brother was a smart man, as was Harry, why they wasted their time in that rubbish class was beyond her.

Hermione let Draco guide her out of the Great Hall and down the corridors to Arithmancy. While Transfiguration was easy for her and she knew that her future lay down that path, Arithmancy challenged her and kept her on her toes. While she knew that her passion was with Transfiguration, Arithmancy challenged her. She knew that without a doubt once her mastery was finished in Transfiguration she wanted to pursue one in Arithmancy.

They entered the classroom and took their customary seats. This was the one class that Hermione didn't sit with Draco or Harry in and it felt odd to her for that reason. She seated herself between Padma Patil and Ernie McMillan, the former greeting her enthusiastically while the latter sneered her way. Hermione didn't let Ernie's reaction bother her. She didn't care about his reaction in the least so there was no reason whatsoever to care what he had to say about her either.

The class passed with a lecture and Professor Vector assigning them partners to have a class project. Hermione had never been more thrilled when she was assigned with Draco. She could have made it work with anyone else, but it was just so much easier with her mate. He seemed thrilled as well, but she didn't want to say anything to him and jinx the good fortune that they were working together. The project looked to be a difficult one and they would need all the help that they could get.

Once Arithmancy dismissed, Hermione met up with Draco and allowed him to lead her down towards the Great Hall. Harry's Divination class was only a regular class, so he had had a regular free period after that sham of a class. For some reason, she was quite certain that he hadn't worked on his homework, instead choosing to spend him time on the pitch flying. Hermione tried not to begrudge him. Her Gryffindor mate wasn't as academic as she and Draco were, and she didn't want to make him change just to make her happy.

Hermione was thrilled to find her Gryffindor counterpart at the table already. It was clear by his windswept hair that her earlier assumptions had been correct. When she took the seat next to him, Harry leaned over and kissed her neck, nipping her pulse point. It was a sharp reminder that while they had made up the night before, they hadn't had what those around her called make up sex. She had been exhausted the night before since she hadn't slept well in her father's quarters. Both boys had been gentlemen and let her go to bed early, promising her that they would show her their love and devotion the next night. Hermione was just getting caught up in a delicious daydream when an owl swooped down and landed before her. Hermione knew that it was from the Headmaster. She pulled the note from the owl's foot and shoved her plate of food it's way, offering it as a reward for bringing her a note. She opened the note quickly and skimmed its contents.

 _Miss Granger,_

 _Please do me the honor of meeting me in my office after the evening meal concludes. We have much to discuss._

 _A.D._

It was clear that the Headmaster had gotten over her decision to tell her brother and wanted to discuss strategy. She wondered if he had invited anyone ese or just herself and her mates. Come to think of it, they hadn't been specifically invited either. She didn't care. They were coming and if he didn't like it, she would come up with her own plan and go from there. Hermione passed the note to her mates and made sure to gesture to them with her eyes that they were most certainly coming with her. They seemed leery, but she didn't care. The Headmaster wasn't going to start dictating her movements now so late in the game.

Once the food disappeared, the trio rose from their seats at the Gryffindor table and started for the doors to the Great Hall. They were taking their time so that everyone could clear out and there wouldn't be as many people to see just where they were headed. There were hardly any people left when Hermione finally gestured for them to leave the Great Hall. Each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her from the cavernous room and started her towards the Headmaster's office.

They traversed the corridors quickly, finally reaching the griffin that guarded the Headmaster's office. They waited for a moment for the griffin to move from its customary spot guarding the entrance and when it did, she was happy to move forward. Harry and Draco led her forward and up the stairs, both their hands wrapped round her waist. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Hermione had stiffened her shoulders and made sure that her expression was hard. She had no idea what she was walking into and the last thing that she wanted was to be construed as weak.

Once they were fully ensconced in the Headmaster's office, Hermione was thrilled to see that not only was her father present, but so was Remus, Sirius, Professor McGonagall, Arthur, Moody, and Kingsley. They were all seated in armchairs around the fire, sipping tea and conversing quietly between themselves. Hermione told herself that she had done the right thing by inviting her mates since everyone else was present. It was made clear, however, that the Headmaster didn't agree with her.

"I don't recall inviting your mates." Hermione made sure to make herself comfortable in the sofa in full view of the others in the room. She ignored the statement from the Headmaster until she was comfortable in her seat.

"I don't really care if you invited them. I'm inviting them since I'm the one that must 'kill' you and I feel that if I have to do that, I have the right to bring whoever I want into the fold." It was silent for several minutes before Hermione finally turned her attention to the Headmaster.

"You know that this is a team effort to me. If you try to keep my mates from planning, I'll just go my own way and include them anyways. It's your decision." She felt both Harry and Draco squeeze her hands, lending their strength to her. She made sure to smile widely at them in front of all the other members of their rag tag group, showing everyone that she was serious about them staying. It was Professor McGonagall that broke the tense silence.

"Merlin's balls, Albus, the rest of us are here. Why would you not want them here? They're just as big a part of this as Hermione and Severus are. Stop trying to parade your power and put Hermione in her place. I assure you, it won't happen." Hermione had to fake a cough, so the snort and laughter wouldn't be audible. It seemed that everyone in the room knew exactly what she had done though, and they were smirking her way. Her father spoke next, not giving anyone else a chance to comment on the Transfiguration professor's words.

"We need to come up with a plan. Obviously, Hermione isn't really going to kill Albus, but we need to make it look as if she did in front of plenty of witnesses. It would be nice if we could end this war before the end of the school year."

This opened the table to several ideas that Hermione felt were good ones. Moody wanted to have Hermione lure the Headmaster away from the school with false information and then "kill" him, sending word to her grandfather once it was done. Sirius wanted to fake the death of the Headmaster and have her deliver his "body" to her grandfather and make the final battle on Voldemort's turf. Remus disagreed and felt that they should keep the battle that was sure to break out somewhere that they chose so they would have the advantage. After almost two hours of brainstorming had passed, Hermione's head was hurting.

The Gryffindor hadn't contributed a single idea because she knew that her plan was insane. She truly hoped that one of the others would have an idea that worked out better but in every one she saw potential for disaster. Not that hers was much better, in fact, it was probably worse. However, it also made sure that they would be on home ground, they would have plenty of allies, and her grandfather would be lulled by a false sense of security. She knew for a fact that most of the people in the room weren't going to like her plan. Harry slid his hand behind her and began rubbing the knots in her neck. Hermione moaned a little before she finally spoke.

"You've all come up with some great ideas. The fact is, I've somewhat incorporated several of your ideas into one. My plan is crazy and could backfire splendidly if it doesn't work out, but I think it is our best shot at not killing the Headmaster and ending the war all at the same time." Everyone quieted and turned her way. She was never more thankful for Sirius and his easygoing manner.

"Tell us all about it, poppet, you know we love your crazy plans best of all." Remus and Professor McGonagall both chuckled at the man's words. Her father looked less than impressed but she didn't care. She took a deep breath and began.

"I want to end this in two weeks' time, over the Easter hols. On Easter, specifically, and I want to do it here at Hogwarts." All the adults save her father blew up, calling out their demands that that wasn't going to happen, that she was insane to even think about bringing the Dark Lord to Hogwarts where he could harm students. She allowed it to continue for several minutes before she shot sparks in the air, bringing their attention back to her.

"I understand why you don't want the final confrontation happening at Hogwarts but let's be rational. There are rarely many students that stay at the school for Easter hols. I understand that we have a fair amount of people in the Order of the Phoenix, but I also know that my grandfather has more Death Eaters. We're going to need help and if there are students that are properly trained that are willing to fight, I think that we should allow them that. Do I like it, no, but I'm also not stupid enough to think that we'll win a war against my grandfather and his twisted followers with only a handful of people. I would instate the rule that it's only fifth years and above that can fight. My plan will also allow aurors to appear and help us." The room was silent for a few minutes as they considered her words. Harry continued to knead at her neck and Draco held her hand in his, his thumb rubbing along the length of her knuckles. Kingsley was the one who spoke first.

"I don't like it, in fact, I really don't like it, but I agree with your words. Even with the aurors and the Order, we don't have as many people as Voldemort. I don't want kids fighting our battles, but we really don't have much of a choice." Hermione nodded.

"I don't like it anymore that you do but I'm also quite sure that some of them would jump at the chance to fight. Look at the twins or Neville. They would be pissed if they were left out of a fight." Arthur chuckled, although it was a sad one.

"You're right there, they're such terrors that they could probably pull one giant prank and take out half their number." Hermione cocked her head to the side.

"That's an idea that I hadn't considered. I might just see if they'll do that if they're wanting to stay here for the holidays." The Headmaster finally spoke.

"Tell us your plan and we'll see what we can do." Hermione sat forward and linked her hands together. Before she jumped into her explanation, she turned to her father.

"Do you think that you could create a spell that mimics the killing curse in color but really just stuns someone? Maybe put a time limit on it?" Her father's hands were steepled under his chin and he was staring at her. He was silent for a long time before he nodded. Hermione hated not knowing what he was thinking.

"I've already created a spell that does that, at least partly. It mimics that spell perfectly, masking breaths and the pulse, but it only lasts for ten minutes before the person wakes again. They can't be woken early either." Hermione felt her eye brows travel up to her hairline. Her father saw the question in his eyes.

"I use it on raids and such so I don't really have to kill people. We're never there long enough for my 'brothers' to discover my duplicity." There were shocked faces all around, but Hermione's wasn't one of them. She gave him a bright smile as Professor McGonagall spoke.

"That's quite brilliant, Severus. You've been saving lives for years and none of us knew it." Hermione could see that her father was uncomfortable with the woman's words, so she deflected the attention from her father.

"Would you be willing to teach it to me?" He gave a sharp nod before she heaved a deep breath.

"I want this to happen on Easter at the meal. I'll stand and approach the Headmaster before using my father's spell on him. Of course, everyone in the Hall will have to lose their minds, but that will all be part of the show. My father will then call the Dark Lord and he and his followers will apparate in. The anti-apparition wards will have to be dropped, we can blame it on the death of the Headmaster. We're going to tell my grandfather that we want him to come and personally appoint Severus to the post of Headmaster and that we want to summon the aurors and Ministry officials, so we can overthrow all major points in wizarding society in one blow. He's so power hungry he'll buy it.

There will be Order members hiding in the classrooms around the Great Hall, the students that want to fight will be in the Great Hall witnessing everything. At this point, one of us is going to have to kill the snake. Clearly, this will tell my grandfather that we've been less than forthcoming about our loyalties and all hell is going to break loose. Aurors and such will apparate in and I'm quite certain that they'll jump into the fray. The Headmaster will wake up when he wakes up and will be free to fight with us as he sees fit. I do have a feeling that it will have to Harry, Draco, and I that must kill Voldemort. My father's power is astronomical but still not strong enough to defeat him in battle. No offense to the Headmaster but I don't think that your strength and endurance would get you to the end of the confrontation with your life still intact. The combined power of our triad is the only thing that could come close."

The room was silent for a good long while after her plan was outlined. She allowed them to consider her words. Harry and Draco were both silent and still next to her and in that moment, she felt terrible for not telling them her plan first. She should have. The last thing that they deserved was to be blindsided by the fact that they were going to have to personally kill the darkest wizard in centuries. Her father was now tapping his chin with his forefinger, eyes narrowed and calculating. Sirius and Remus were both comical in the fact that their jaws were hanging open slightly at her words. Kingsley, Arthur, and Moody were all silent and still as they considered her words. Professor Dumbledore didn't look like he was too enamored with the plan, but Hermione didn't expect him to speak out against it. It was Professor McGonagall that broke the silence almost ten minutes later.

"Fuck me, it's an absolutely insane plan but I say we go for it. Let's end this war before anymore innocent people have to die at the hands of those monsters." Hermione wanted to giggle at her Head of House's words. She refrained, however, as the others began to speak.

The conversation went on for another hour, discussing the pros and cons of the idea at hand. Everyone seemed to have accepted her idea and were now trying to fine tune it, so it wouldn't seem like such a cluster fuck. Hermione didn't mind; the better the plan was at the beginning, hopefully the better it would play out.

The dismissal came shortly after they had talked the plan to death. Hermione was thankful. She was tired from her day of classes and then dealing with planning her grandfather's demise. As she allowed Harry and Draco to pull her to her feet and out of the door, she heard the Headmaster tell her father to go to Voldemort and set up a meeting with Hermione, so they could get the plan rolling. She rolled her eyes at the Headmaster's actions. Even though he hated the plan, he had to be in charge.

Her boys pulled her through the now empty corridors. It wasn't quite curfew, but it was close. Hermione was never more thankful that she had done all her homework in the library earlier that day, so she wouldn't have to worry about it now. When they reached the Room of Requirement, Harry paced the corridor, the door revealing itself once he was done. Hermione dropped her things to the floor by the door and began to strip. She could hear the boys behind her doing the same thing.

The Gryffindor managed to strip down to her oxford and her knickers before she made it to the bathroom. She performed her nightly ablutions, washing her face, brushing her teeth and hair. Once she was finished, she left to make her way to the bed. That didn't happen, however, since both her boys were now naked and waiting to ambush her when she came out.

Harry rushed her, his mouth finding hers as he drew her into his arms. His tongue was tasting every inch of her mouth, dominating her even in a small way such as this. His hands found the buttons of her oxford and began to undo them while she whimpered into his bruising kiss. She felt Draco press himself to her back and his hands trailed down her sides until he found her knickers. With practiced ease, he shoved them down to where they lay tangled in her ankles.

Harry's hands were shoving her shirt back enough to expose her breasts, his fingers finding their peaks, so he could tease them. Hermione felt them pebble under his ministrations, earning her a small groan. She could feel her pussy growing wetter; her liquid desire was now starting to trickle down her thighs. It was slightly embarrassing that it didn't take her anything at all to make her this wet.

Hermione gasped when she felt Draco sheath himself in her hot, wet, sleeve, clear to the hilt. Harry smirked into her mouth as Draco gripped her hips firmly in his hands and began to move within her. Harry continued to tweak her nipples, flicking them roughly from time to time. Hermione could do nothing but try to keep her balance by holding onto Harry's shoulders.

Suddenly, Harry wasn't there anymore. She was forced to lean forward and brace herself against the bedpost while Draco continued to drive into her like a man possessed. At the feel of a tongue on her pussy, she realized that Harry hadn't left, just dropped to his knees to tease her further. His tongue was tasting every inch of her womanly core while Draco fucked her behind. It was one of the sexiest things that Hermione had ever considered being done to her.

Hermione felt teeth clamp down on her shoulder and the pain mixed with the continuous pressure on her clit and Draco hitting her sweet spot with every manic thrust. Hermione couldn't control it. She lost control and fell over the edge and into bliss. Her cries were loud, and she could feel herself clenching around Draco's massive cock. Harry continued to lick her, tasting every drop she had to offer. After almost a minute, Hermione had to reach down and wrench Harry's head away from her; her pleasure pearl was far too sensitive.

Draco came with a roar behind her, the sound even louder since his teeth were still buried in her shoulder. She felt the hot fluid spurt inside her, painting her with his seed. He finally released her shoulder and pulled out to leave a trickle of their combined fluids to trail down her thigh. Harry seemed to realize that her legs wouldn't hold her because he pulled her down to her knees.

Hermione knew instantly what he wanted, and she wanted to give it to him. On all fours, she bent over and took his huge cock in her mouth as far as she could. Her tongue swirled around the head, tasting the salty fluid that beaded at the tip. She began to work him with her mouth, up and down, tongue sliding along the bottom of his prick. She only started a little when she felt Draco's tongue on her pussy again, licking her softly, but thoroughly.

It was extremely hard to concentrate when Draco began pumping his fingers inside her, filling her again. First one finger, then two, and finally three. It was extremely dirty, but she almost came again when she felt his tongue probe at her back entrance. Harry's hands were buried in her hair, pulling her down on his cock further and further, talking dirty to her as she serviced him. Draco pushed his tongue inside her and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips.

Harry began fucking her mouth faster and Draco pumped his fingers inside her faster and harder, making her reach her orgasm quicker. Hermione was determined to wait until Harry had came before she allowed herself another orgasm. This wasn't meant to be, however. She exploded again, and Hermione felt the flood of fluid wash over Draco's fingers. Her moans seemed to send Harry over the edge. Seed shot from the head of his cock to the back of her throat and Hermione swallowed it down quickly.

His cock started softening but Hermione continued to lick him, making sure that he was clean and not a single drop of his cum remained. Once he was completely soft again, Hermione pulled away, so she could lay down on the floor next to him. No words were spoken for several minutes, in fact, she had almost fallen asleep when she felt Draco licking her pussy again. Hermione gasped when he hit her nub and Harry smirked at her reaction.

The next second, Draco was gone from between her legs and pulling her to her feet. Once she was upright, he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed before bending to lap at her pussy again. Her hands found his hair, trying to pull him off her. He shook her off as he spoke.

"I didn't get to taste your honey, Princess. I'm going to make you cum again." Hermione whimpered.

"I can't, I know I can't." His tongue was working over her again. She couldn't stop the whimper that came from her lips.

"You can, and you will." Harry started tweaking her nipples with his thumbs and forefingers. Hermione groaned now. Harry chuckled as he took one of her tight peaks in his mouth.

"When he's done with you, I'm going again. We're going to see how many times this sweet little body will explode for us. We just might lick you all night long and there is not a thing that you can do about it but absorb the pleasure."

Since Hermione was so sensitive already, it didn't take long for her to orgasm again. She soaked Draco's face and he continued to lap at her, savoring every lick. When he finished and moved over for Harry to take over, Hermione couldn't help the small thrill of anticipation.

"It's my turn. Let's see that pretty little cunt of yours spasm from my tongue." Hermione shivered at his words.

It was going to be a long night.

-O-

Severus strode up the gravel drive to Malfoy Manor. He needed a private audience with his grandfather to set up a time for Hermione to come and see him to discuss her plans with him. His boots crunched beneath him, steadying his thoughts so he could protect them properly.

The front door swung open and Mipsy appeared, tremulous smile on her face. It was clear that she was bleeding from her between her ears, probably from a stray hex that had come from one of his "brothers". With a sigh, knowing that his daughter would have his head if he didn't help the tiny elf, he waved his wand at her head, healing the cut there. The elf smiled brightly at him and gestured for him to make his way to the drawing room.

Severus steeled himself and entered the room. His father was sitting in his throne, his snake curled at his feet. Lucius and Narcissa were seated on one of the couches that lined the wall. Thoros Nott was fucking a girl that couldn't have been more than eighteen on the floor in front of the Dark Lord. It was clear that the sex was consensual since the girl was moaning and had her ankles wrapped tightly around the man's waist. His father was watching them closely, calling out encouragement as they continued to fuck.

Severus stood there and waited for Nott to finish his deed. Narcissa looked slightly sickened at the sight of what was happening on her drawing room floor, but she remained silent. Lucius watched with a slight smirk on his face, clearly enjoying the scene before him but not stupid enough to interrupt. Severus simply found it distasteful. He loved doing dark and dirty things to witches that were considered to be good girls, but he had never been the type to share or want an audience. He was oft made fun of for this lack of sharing, but he just ignored his fellow Death Eater's words.

Once Nott had made the girl scream her pleasure, he pulled out of her and shot his load all over her face. She licked his cock clean, naked and a complete mess, until the Dark Lord ordered her to go entertain some of his other members in other rooms. When he finally turned his attention to his son, the Dark Lord gave a semblance of a smile.

"What bringsss you here, Severusss?" He dipped his head in deference to his father before speaking.

"My daughter has decided on a plan for ridding us of the old fool. I believe that she wants to meet with you. She asked me to come to you and see what time works for you." His father started cackling and Nagini coiled himself even tighter around his master.

"That'sss wonderful newsss, Severus. Have you heard her plan?" Severus shook his head.

"No, she hasn't told me yet. I think that she wants your opinion first." His father nodded his head, quite pleased.

"Bring her in three dayssss time. We will talk, the three of usss. Her matesss may come but they are not required." The Slytherin bowed his head in understanding.

"Yes, father, I'll bring her then. Is there anything you need of me before then?" The Dark Lord shook his head.

"No, Severusss, jussst keep her sssafe. The Headmassster would love to take her out of the picture." He nodded again.

"She is my first priority." His father gave him an approving nod.

"I shall sssee you then." Severus knew that this was his dismissal, so he turned on his heel and left the drawing room only to find the same girl fucking Amycus Carrow in the corridor. This time she was pressed up against the wall with several Death Eaters cheering them on and calling out when their turns would be. Severus paid them no mind and continued his way out of the Manor.

He left the grounds of Malfoy Manor quickly; after reaching the gate, he apparated away to the gates of Hogwarts. Sometimes, Severus really wished that the Headmaster wasn't such a prick and would allow him to apparate into his quarters but there was nothing for it now. He traversed the grounds quickly, eager to be in his quarters and then his bed.

His thoughts went to his daughter's plans. Severus hated it, but he was honest enough to admit that it was their best choice. He didn't want to have the final confrontation being at Hogwarts where students would get injured, but Hermione had been correct when she had said that they would need all the help that they could get. He didn't agree for a moment that children should be fighting a war, but the fact remained that there just wasn't anyone else that would help.

Therefore, they would have to do their best to end the war on Easter day. He knew that his daughter was more powerful than his father, especially when her magic was bolstered by their triad, but his father had many, many years of experience in fighting and killing. All it would take to end Severus' world would be for something to happen to his daughter. He really didn't think that Potter or Draco would fare well either if she were to die.

After trekking through the castle, he entered his quarters and began stripping off his clothes. He really wanted a fire whiskey, but he wasn't going to stay awake long enough to have one. His mind was still on Hermione and her plan and he could only hope that it wasn't going to keep him awake. None of the others seemed too thrilled about her plan either but they had all agreed that it was the best that they had at the moment.

Severus fell into bed and pulled the duvet up over him. Tomorrow he was going to have to tell Hermione that in three days' time she was going to meet with her grandfather to explain her grand plan. He could only hope that his father was blind enough to accept it without demanding changes.

With a deep sigh, Severus closed his eyes, worked on clearing his mind so he wouldn't dream, and let himself drift off to sleep.

A/N- Here we are, another chapter down. Once again, I apologize for this chapter taking so long. For people out there looking for a good story, I suggest you try Harry Potter & the Soulmate Bond. It's not on , but at www. kieramarcos. com. (The website doesn't have spaces, I had to add them so it would let me post it on fanfiction.) I'm not all the way done with it, but it's good so far. It's also a Harmony story with a total badass Harry. Give it a try if that's your thing. Leave me your thoughts, they're like chocolate and whiskey shots.

Next chapter, meeting with gramps and clueing in their friends.

Love,

Alicia


	43. Chapter 43

A/N- I'm hoping that this chapter finds everyone well. For those that asked, my daughter's foot is doing better. She's only got to spend one more week in her boot and then I can let the wound air dry. Who knew skin grafts were so finicky? My mother-in-law is doing great after her surgery as well, thank you to everyone for asking after my life. I'm really hoping to do this chapter justice so hang tough with me. Another thank you to everyone that has remained loyal, reviewed, and left me constructive criticism. I appreciate it. Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this fic. It's all been done before, I assure you. One of these days I'll find a time turner and flash back to before J.K.R. published Harry Potter and Co. and steal her work (evil cackles).

Chapter 43

April 10, 1996

Hermione couldn't remember being this nervous about all the other times that she had been to see her grandfather. She knew that her grandfather would accept her plan, he was simply too power-hungry not to, so she was unsure as to where this irrational case of the nerves was coming from.

The Gryffindor smoothed her hands down the royal purple witch's robes that her father had bought for her for the occasion. They were very form fitting and didn't leave much to the imagination, but it was what her father said that her grandfather would expect of her. He hated muggle clothing, well, anything muggle, so Hermione had to dress as a proper pureblood witch would. It didn't matter that she felt entirely uncomfortable in the robes since they put so much of her figure on display for so many depraved men.

She was waiting in the Headmaster's office with Harry and Draco and they were still waiting on her father to appear. He was going to be escorting her since both her mates were staying at the castle. Her grandfather had stated that they would be welcome to attend but the Headmaster had thought that it would be prudent for them to stay behind so nothing happened to them this late in the game. The last thing they wanted to do was blow their cover because some arsehole cursed one of them while Hermione had her back turned.

The Headmaster was seated behind his massive desk. Hermione was unsure how he got anything done on it since it was covered in parchment. Her Head of House was sitting by the fire with Harry and Draco, sipping a cup of tea while they waited. She was going to stay behind with Harry and Draco. Hermione had told her that she needed to drill them both on their transfiguration to keep them distracted. The older woman had laughed at her and promised to do her level best to keep them from worrying.

Hermione was drawn out of her thoughts by her father finally entering the office, hair swept back and hanging long behind him. His robes were in a slight state of disarray and when Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, he rolled his eyes and waved his wand at his robes, straightening them and cleaning them at the same time.

"Where have you been to make you show up like that?" He glared at her.

"I was gathering potion's ingredients in the Forbidden Forest. There were several that had to be harvested today and I just finished." The Headmaster twinkled at them all.

"Very good, very well, we're all here. Do we need to have any last-minute discussions, or do you feel comfortable in your task, Miss Snape?" The last thing that she wanted to do was discuss the situation further. It would just make her more nervous she was sure. Therefore, she shook her head.

"No, I know what I'm going to say. I'll just act as I always do, and I should be fine." Severus snorted.

"This time let's not threaten the Dark Lord's life unless it's absolutely necessary." Hermione couldn't hold back the grin that caused her father to scowl further at her.

"Not unless it's necessary, I promise." Her father rolled her eyes.

Harry and Draco both stood and came to her, drawing her into their arms at the same time. Hermione could feel the magic between them multiply, but she paid it no mind. She hugged them both back with a soft laugh.

"Don't worry for me, you know I can handle myself against him or anyone else that decides to take me on." Harry nodded and bent so he could kiss her. It wasn't deep, but she could feel the level of emotion that he had put into it. She returned it in the same fashion until he stepped back and allowed Draco to step forward and kiss her as well. His kiss was just as meaningful and tasted just as good. Hermione whimpered softly when he pulled away as well. He gave her his trademark smirk.

"I will have to be very cross with you if you don't return to us in one piece." Hermione let out a laugh before casting her student's robes over her witch's robes.

Without further ado, Severus led her out of the Headmaster's office and down the steps until they reached the griffin. There were no students in the corridors, surprising Hermione slightly since it was hours before curfew. Since the Headmaster's office was on the second floor, it didn't take them long to reach the Entrance Hall. Her father wasted no time in throwing them open and escorting her out onto the grounds.

They traversed the grounds quickly but carefully since the last thing that Hermione wanted was to slip and injure her ankle on the rocky ground. When they reached the gates, her father waved his wand and she watched as they swung open. He helped her through them before closing them and turning to her.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do, sweet? If you aren't sure I'm not going to take you." She stepped forward and hugged him tightly around the waist. She buried her face in his robes, inhaling the spicy scent of potion ingredients on his robes. The Gryffindor was careful to not muss her hair or smudge her make up.

"I'm positive, Daddy. I want to end this war before more people die. I can do this." She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head as he hugged her back.

"I know you can, little one. I just wanted you to be sure." She stepped out of the circle of his arms and smiled at him although she wasn't sure that he could see it in the fading light behind him.

"I've got this. Watch me work." He barked out a laugh as he reached out and took her hand. She got no warning as he twisted them away in the now-familiar tube of apparition.

The pair landed outside the wrought iron gates of Malfoy Manor. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if her grandfather ever left the Malfoy family seat. She was sure that he had to at some point, but she had yet to see it happen. Her father opened the gates with his Dark Mark and he gestured for her to take her student robes off. Once they were in her hand, he shrunk them down and put them in the pocket of his robes. Once she made sure that her appearance was satisfactory, she took the arm that her father offered her, and they started up the gravel drive.

The walk seemed to take longer without Harry and Draco there, but she knew that she was just being silly. She had a feeling that it had something to do with her nerves. When they reached the enormous front doors, it swung open to reveal the same house elf that always answered when she came to visit. Her father nodded at the elf.

"Where is the Dark Lord, Mipsy? He's expecting us." The elf gave him a tremulous smile. Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for the poor creature. It was quite clear that she was mistreated. She couldn't help but wonder idly if Draco mistreated this elf or not.

"The Green Room, Master Snapes." Her father didn't say thank you, but he gave her a respectful nod and Hermione could admit that she was proud. Her father would treat elves with respect if he could.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as her father began to lead her to what was the Green Room. It was clear that her father was very familiar with the layout of Malfoy Manor. When they reached the door, he stopped and looked at her, checking to see if she was ready. Hermione lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and nodded.

Severus swung the door open and escorted Hermione through. Her grandfather was in a throne once again and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he had the same one moved around or if he had one in every room of the house. Either way, it was ridiculous. Nagini was curled around his bare feet, tasting the air around them. There were several Death Eaters present which surprised Hermione. She would have figured that her grandfather would have liked to keep their plan secret until the time it was to be executed.

Lucius was seated on the couch facing the Dark Lord, apparently discussing something of importance. Thoros Nott was present, leaning against a window with a glass of fire whiskey in his hand. Both Lestranges were on the couches with Lucius and Hermione couldn't help but notice how feral they both looked. There was also a young man seated an arm chair that Hermione never thought she would see again.

Viktor Krum.

The Gryffindor had known from the start that his family was dark in nature and that his father was a Death Eater. Viktor, however, had sworn to her that he wasn't planning to follow in his father's footsteps because he found the whole concept of blood purity a touch ridiculous. To see him there now, before her grandfather, Dark Mark proudly on display, made her feel betrayed.

Rather than giving him any attention whatsoever, Hermione continued on her father's arm to where her grandfather sat. Nagini was the first to greet her and Hermione felt her father stiffen next to her. Rather than stay close, he went to stand at his father's side like he usually did. The giant snake slithered forward and wrapped itself loosely around her feet, tasting the skin of her bare legs.

"Missstress returns." Hermione just couldn't help herself. She bent at the knees, crouching down, so she could stroke the snake's head. Its eyes closed in pleasure.

"Yes, Mistress has returned to speak with your master. Have you watched over him?" The snake hissed out an affirmative. With a final pat, Hermione stood and met the gaze of her grandfather. He pulled his lips back in what she was sure was supposed to be a smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Sssweetling, my familiar is quite taken with you. She hasss spoken of nothing but you sssince you were last here. I see you're aware that she calls you Missstress." Hermione gave a polite nod.

"She is a beautiful snake. A familiar such as she is a boon." Her grandfather rose to his feet and reached forward to cup her cheeks in his hands. She resisted the full body shiver.

"Once the old fool is dead, I will get you one for yourssself. You can take it with you everywhere." Hermione made herself blush under her grandfather's gaze.

"I'd like that very much." Her grandfather released her face and gestured for her to sit in the arm chair next to Viktor that directly faced him. He retook his seat and lounged there comfortably. Hermione could feel Viktor's gaze on her, but she could tell that he didn't recognize her. Her grandfather broke the silence.

"Tell me your plan, sssweetling. Everyone in this room can be trusssted." Hermione wanted to scoff at him but decided against it. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate the Dark Lord's followers when they were finally starting to accept her. She crossed her ankles primly and accepted a glass of elf wine from one of the elves that popped into existence next to her. She took a dainty sip before she began.

"I'm going to do it on Easter. During the Easter meal to be precise. We all know that the Headmaster knows who I really am, so he would never refuse me an audience even if I approach him at the High Table. I doubt that there will be many students that stay behind but all the professors should be there. There will be plenty of witnesses. I have other plans as well, however." Her grandfather seemed intrigued at her words.

"What elssse do you wish to do, granddaughter?" Hermione took another sip of wine, making sure that she didn't swallow any of it. Who knew if they elves had been ordered by someone to poison her?

"Once the Headmaster is dead, the wards to the castle will fall until Professor McGonagall in her role as the Deputy Headmistress raises them once more. She's firmly against the Headmaster since she learned what he did to me, as well as what he did to Sirius Black. She wouldn't raise them again if I asked her not to. This is the part where you would come in." Another sip of wine. She could see her father's eyes bugging out at the fact that he thought she was drinking something she got from this house, but Hermione paid him no mind.

"I trust Minerva to a degree but not enough to appoint her Headmistress right out of the gate. I want you and your Death Eaters to apparate into the school, show everyone there that you are taking over, and appoint my father to the role of Headmaster." Her grandfather was now tapping his chin with his fingers as he considered her words. Hermione was afraid that she was losing him, so she hurried to continue.

"We all know that nobody can rule the wizarding world without having the Ministry and Hogwarts in their pocket. The Ministry controls everything and Hogwarts is a seat of ancient, sentient, and extremely powerful magic. I would never be so bold as to think that you could control the world like you wish without having Hogwarts. Besides, as the Heir to Slytherin, Hogwarts is all three of our birthrights." Another fake sip of wine. What made the situation worse was that she would love a glass of elf wine to settle her nerves.

"Therefore, once you're all there, I want either Father or Professor McGonagall to make a distress call to the Ministry, tell them that you're taking over the school, that you're attacking children, whatever it takes to get the aurors and whatever high-ranking officials are there at the time to Hogwarts. We subdue them, kill them if we must, though I think that would be foolish if it wasn't well thought out. Once they're all subdued at Hogwarts, storm the Ministry and take over there as well. All that would be left them would be the Order of the Phoenix and let's be honest. Most of the members are slowly seeing just what kind of manipulator Albus Dumbledore is and they aren't liking it.

Sirius Black has become very close to me through the years, as has Remus Lupin, and when they learned what Dumbledore did to me and them as well, well, we'll just say that their loyalty is a thing of the past. They don't want the eradication of muggleborns, but they fear giving them too much power in a society they know nothing about. Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt feel the same. I've already said that Professor McGonagall will back me if it comes down to it. Says I'm the daughter she never had. That would leave only a handful of serious opponents left at the end of the day.

As I would want my father to be Headmaster, I would suggest Lucius for the new Minister but that is, of course, your decision, grandfather. I would never presume to tell you how to rule. I told you my allegiance was yours as long as my mates came to no harm."

The room was silent for a good long while. Hermione could see that her grandfather was contemplating her words far harder than she had originally thought that he would. The others around the room were silent as well so Hermione took a moment to do something that she had never done without permission before. She began peering into her "colleagues" minds.

The Gryffindor didn't waste her time with Lucius; she knew exactly where his loyalties lie, and they were not with her grandfather. Thoros Nott was an open book, his feelings of greed and excitement building in him as he considered her words. There was still an underlying hatred for her, probably because she was born to his wife but not himself, but she didn't let that bother her. Both Lestranges didn't really have many discernible thoughts, just more proof that they were truly quite mad.

From Viktor, Hermione wasn't surprised. He was intrigued with her words and was trying his hardest to place her. He knew she felt familiar, so she knew that nobody had told him her actual identity. He like the idea of ruling the world and there was a sense of ruthlessness under it all that belied the fact that he would probably do whatever he had to achieve that power.

It was clear that she prodded his memory a little too hard, subtlety was not something that she had worked on with her father. He snarled at her, his wand coming out to point in her face. She could tell that a curse was on the tip of his tongue when she caught sight of Severus in the corner of her eye. His wand was out and pointed at the Bulgarian seeker. His voice was low and menacing.

"You better lower your wand, or I'll show everyone once again what happens to you if you harm my daughter. Make sure you ask the others about Dolohov." Viktor cast a glance in Lucius' direction, but the blond man just stared at him for several seconds before he answered in a bored tone.

"It took Dolohov hours to die. If you don't want to suffer his wrath, I suggest you lower your wand." It was clear that Lucius had been the one to recruit the Bulgarian. Viktor lowered his wand, but his tone was vicious when spoke.

"This sneaky little bitch just used legilimency on me." Hermione had never heard him speak like that before. Either he was imperioused or the person that she had met the year before had all been a lie. Her grandfather rose and gestured for Hermione to rise as well. She made sure to show no fear. Her grandfather's hands were gentle as he held her face in his hands again.

"Show me what you sssaw in his mind." Hermione was quick to obey him. The last thing that she wanted was to make her grandfather suspect her. He watched the memory and gave her the same creepy smile.

"I wasssn't aware that you were ssskilled in mind artsss, sweetling. When did you learn?" She laid a hand on her grandfather's, hoping that it would be construed as sweet, but really, she just wanted to rip it off her face.

"Apparently, I've always had a knack for it. Father decided that I needed to learn to keep the Headmaster out of my head, so he wouldn't discover my secrets. We didn't want him to know that I was meeting you. He said that I was very accomplished already, he just built up my endurance. He showed me how to perform legilimency in case I ever needed it. He said that it was all for my safety and the safety of the cause." His thumbs were now stroking her cheekbones.

"Why did you cassst it on young Krum?" Hermione cast her eyes downward for just a moment to show that she was contrite.

"I trust the other men to be loyal to you. I wondered about Krum because of what he told me last year." The room fell silent and Hermione could have heard a pin drop. Her grandfather dropped his hands to her shoulder but met her eyes.

"Ssshow me what he said lassst year." Hermione pushed the memory of the Yule Ball to the front of her mind. Dancing with Viktor, laughing at his other friends from Durmstrang, drinking punch with Harry while he looked miserable. Her grandfather stiffened when the conversation began.

" _I know your father is dark, you know. I know he has the brand. Why are you with me? You know I'm a muggleborn, you can't possibly think that your father will approve?" Viktor kissed her hand and flashed her a charming smile._

" _I have no urges to follow my father's footsteps. I don't wish to serve a lord of any kind, let alone a dark one. I don't want to kill your kind at all, if fact, if they're all like you, they deserve more credit than they get."_

Her grandfather pulled from her mind and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed for only a moment before she opened them again to find her grandfather starting at her.

"Keep me out of your mind. I want to sssee how good you are." Hermione knew that she wasn't going to be able to under-perform without tipping her grandfather off to the fact that she was hiding something. Therefore, she threw up her wall of facts and dared him to get past her defenses.

Hermione had no idea how long she stood there trying to keep her grandfather from breaking into her mind. She could feel the vicious prod of his mind against hers, not being subtle at all but trying to use brute force. Hermione suspected that she would have a headache when he was done but she refused to yield. When he finally withdrew from her mind, she was surprised to hear him laughing.

"You just kept me out for an hour, sssweetling, and you aren't even breathing hard. You're truly a treasssure. Can you drop those defensesss and let me sssee inside just as easily?" Hermione knew this was just a ploy to get her to let him in her mind. She wasn't worried. There was no way in blue hell that he would find her hidden memories.

"You needed only to ask, grandfather."

Hermione tucked her most private memories away behind her walls, hid them inside a random book inside a library of the information contained in her mind. There was no way that he would ever find them. She flooded his mind with memories from her childhood, how horrid it felt to have no friends and be judged because she was smart, she let him watch her attack from Ron. She flooded him with classes, showed him Professor McGonagall offering her an apprentice spot the next year, making love with her two mates. Once again, she had no idea how long she stood there and let him watch her memories, but she was relieved when he finally pulled out of her mind. His hand came up and brushed a stray curl back from her face and behind her shoulder.

"You're exquisite. Ssseverus is talented but not quite to your level. He did well teaching you." She made herself blush again. Her grandfather released her face and gestured for her to take her seat again. Hermione caught sight of Viktor's face and he appeared truly confused. She finally decided to take pity on him.

"Hermione Granger, daughter to Severus Snape, granddaughter to the Dark Lord. Point your wand at me again and you'll discover why the other men in this room are so fearful of me." He opened his mouth to speak but the Dark Lord cut him off.

"Tell me, young Krum, are your wordsss to that sssweet creature next to you true or the words you ssspoke to me when you begged me to mark you?" He began to shift his eyes around, obviously looking for a way out.

"My words to you were truth, my lord. It's true that I don't want mudbloods eradicated but they are far from superior. I want pureblood traditions to be strong in our society again." Hermione kept her eyes forward, trained on her grandfather as he deliberated. Nagini once again slithered over to her and coiled herself up in her lap. Hermione couldn't stop herself from stroking her scales softly. Destroying such a creature truly would a crime. She caught sight of her father and she couldn't help but think that he looked relieved.

"I will believe you for now, Krum, sssince my granddaughter ssshowed me the thoughtsss she saw in your mind. Betray my trust a sssingle time and you'll be dead. If you draw your wand on my granddaughter ever again, you'll answer to Severusss. He enjoyed the last session he had with a man that hurt her. If you harm her matesss, either one of them, I'll let her kill you in any way she deemsss fit. Ask the two gentlemen seated on the couch what happened to dear Bellatrix." Now that that was settled, her grandfather turned his attention back to Hermione.

"I adore your plan, sssweetling. It would be nice to take over the whole world in a day. After we've ssstabilized the government here, we can move on to other countriesss." She allowed herself a smile. His next words surprised her though.

"After you kill the Headmassster, how will you protect yourssself? All the professorsss and many studentsss will be present and would love to hurt you for killing their icon." Every time he showed genuine concern for her, it made it harder to do what she needed to be done. She knew that he was irredeemable but that didn't make her job any better.

"I had planned on my father and mates casting a shield around me as soon as the spell leaves my wand. After that, I'll be more than able to protect myself against them all. Not to mention that Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall will be there as well. I doubt they would let any harm come to me." His eyes were thoughtful as he spoke.

"They would both protect you after watching you murder sssomeone?" Hermione put her hand to her chest and put on an offended look.

"Of course, they would, I'm a very lovable person." Surprising to everyone, her grandfather laughed. The room stared in shock as his laughter died away.

"I'm sure you are, sssweetling. We will go forward with your plan. We will wait for Ssseverus' call on Easter and apparate into the Entrance Hall. If you need anything further from me before then sssend word with your father." Hermione took this to be a dismissal. Nagini slithered off her lap so Hermione could stand, her father coming forward to walk her out. Her grandfather stood once more and came forward to kiss her forehead.

"Goodbye, sweetling. Ssstay sssafe." Hermione gave him a small smile.

"You as well, grandfather. Nobody wants me dead, everyone wants you dead. You can't take over the world if you're hurt." He laughed again.

"Get back to ssschool before the old fool realizesss you're gone." Hermione took her father's arm and started towards the door only to be stopped by Viktor Krum. The look on his face was neutral and Hermione couldn't decide if he was angry.

"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier, I didn't know that it was you. Would you care to meet with me for dinner in the coming week, so I can properly apologize?" Her father released her arm and stepped to the side while the other men in the room chuckled. Hermione wanted to curse him for lying to her and abusing her trust, but she couldn't really do that without giving herself away.

"Why would you want to do that? I'm just a lowly mudblood, remember?" Viktor had the decency to look ashamed.

"You know what you meant to me but there was no way that my father would ever have approved. Now he would." Hermione wasn't quite sure just what she meant to him. Sure, they had shared a few heated kisses but that was where it had ended.

"You don't have to worry about that. I have two mates and we love each other very much. I accept your apology and really need to get back to school." She tried to walk forward but the wizard reached out and jerked her back. She didn't think that he meant to jerk her as hard as he did, but it was still hard enough to smart.

"You know that we're meant for each other and this is just fate telling us that she's on our side. Drop whoever you're with and I'll show you." Her magic released and blew him backwards and off his feet. The Gryffindor rolled her shoulder quickly before she turned to stare him down.

"My mates are worth ten of you. This is your final warning. I will not date you. I will not marry you. If you even think of bringing harm to Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy, your fate will be worse than Bellatrix's. Make sure you ask her husband what I did to her for torturing Draco. Ask Thorfinn Rowle what happens when you merely threaten Harry. They are mine and I will protect them as such. Good day."

Severus was quick to move forward and offer her his arm again. Hermione could hear the laughter from the room as she left and soft cursing from she could only assume was Viktor. The Gryffindor allowed her father to lead her out of Malfoy Manor and down the gravel drive to the gates once more. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not but since he remained silent she was going to assume that the answer was yes.

Without a second thought, her father apparated the pair of them back to Hogwarts. The light was just beginning to fade, and she was pleased that they were back before curfew. She knew the Headmaster was going to want to put off asking everyone for help, but she had other plans. While her father whipped out his wand to open the gates, she produced her own, so she could make her little fox appear. Once her father caught sight of the silvery creature, he raised an eyebrow.

Hermione raised one back at him before turning to her fox. She had named her awhile back, Sooleawa, native American for silver. The Gryffindor had thought that it was appropriate. She sent it to the members of their club that knew of horcruxes and told them to meet in the Headmaster's office. She then shot off another version of Sooleawa and sent her to Ginny, Luna, Neville, the twins, Theo, and even Ron. Hermione wasn't certain that her parents would let her participate in the fighting, but Ginny still had a right to know what was going on, as did Luna. Ron, no matter how much she now hated him, wouldn't want to not fight when the rest of his family would be. In their message she told them to meet her and her boys in the Room of Requirement, that they needed to talk desperately. Once she was finished, her father led her through the gates and over the grounds once more.

"Are you angry with me? You haven't said a word." Her father turned her way, so he could take her hand.

"You're going to be the death of me, child. I'm not angry but I just aged twenty years." She was surprised to hear that he wasn't angry. He was always angry when she put herself in danger. It was difficult to talk when they were rushing across the grounds, especially since she had to be careful of her footing in her heels.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get caught. I guess I need to learn to be more subtle. The others didn't notice though." Severus snorted.

"Why were you worried about his loyalties anyways?" She felt a little ashamed of herself since she had got caught for purely selfish reasons.

"You'll just be mad. Let's just say I won't do it again." He stopped abruptly and laid his hands on her shoulders.

"I won't be mad, sweet, I promise. I want you to be able to come to me for anything." She sighed before she raised her eyes to meet his.

"I considered him a friend last year. He gave me my first kiss. I thought I was his friend too and then I see him sitting there so self-important, showing off his brand like he's proud. He told me that he didn't want me to die, that he wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps. I just wanted to know if he was honest in his inclusion or if he was spying or some such rot. I don't relish the idea of having to kill a friend." Her father pulled her into his arms.

"He very much believes in the ideals of the Dark Lord. I believe that you caught his attention because you were so smart and a muggleborn. You confused him. He told you what you wanted to hear but I don't think that he ever wanted you dead. It was clear that he felt something for you, just not something strong enough to turn his back on his family's ideals." She nodded into his chest.

"That's what I saw in his mind. It's fine, there's nothing I can do about it now." He kissed her hairline before he pulled away.

"You were excellent, by the way. I knew that the Dark Lord wouldn't get through your defenses and you just gained more favor for it. Did you keep all the important memories locked away when you let him in?" She allowed him to begin pulling her towards the castle again.

"Yes, he would never have found them. He would have exhausted himself magically first. Our secrets are safe." He squeezed her hand as they entered the castle, once again nobody in sight.

"I'm proud of you. For all of this, sweet. You're an amazing witch and once this is over, we're going to take a vacation somewhere and we're going to put all of this behind us." She smiled at his words as they approached the griffin.

"That sounds wonderful."

Her father pulled her up the stairs to the Headmaster's office once the griffin leapt out of the way. Once inside, she was unsurprised to see not only Harry, Draco, and Professor McGonagall, but Remus, Sirius, Arthur, Moody, and Kingsley. Both her boys rushed forward and pulled her into their arms, Harry kissing her temple and Draco kissing the side of her head. She relished their arms around her and let the rest of the tension in her body bleed out there in their arms. Her father ushered them to the couch that they usually occupied so he could join everyone before the fire. He wasted no time in opening the conversation.

"He's agreed to everything. He didn't even question it just like Hermione said." Harry bumped her shoulder and smiled at her.

"You had a good meeting then." She winced slightly but nodded. He caught her facial expression and narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me. Did you threaten to kill him again?" Hermione went to her feet and began pacing.

"I outlined the plan, told him that after the Headmaster is dead I want him to come appoint Dad to Headmaster that we'd have Professor McGonagall send for the Ministry. After we defeat them, they can floo to the Ministry and take over there as well. I sold it by telling him that there would only be a handful of Order members that would go against him after that. I told him that Sirius and Remus supported me now because of the Headmaster's actions, as did Professor McGonagall. I told him that Mr. Weasley and Kingsley weren't too happy with him, so they would go along with the regime if he wasn't killing magical blood unnecessarily. Sorry, Moody, you've been an auror for too long, I couldn't sell your loyalty." The grizzled auror barked a laugh.

"Oh, lassie, I knew you wouldn't be able to. You did well. We're going to sink those bastards." She shot him a smile before she turned back to pacing.

"Viktor Krum was there. He didn't recognize me, but my grandfather told me that I could trust him. He told me last year that he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, so I had to make sure that he wouldn't cause any problems." Draco groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"You didn't." Hermione nodded regretfully.

"I used legilimency on everyone in the room aside from my father, grandfather, and Lucius. I know where they all stand. Thoros Nott, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange didn't even notice that I was in their minds. Viktor, however, did, and pulled his wand on me." Now everyone was groaning but Hermione trudged on before anyone could say anything.

"Dad made him lower his wand and he told my grandfather what I did. I had to confess that Dad taught me occlumency to keep the Headmaster out. He demanded that I show him my skills and then let him in my mind. Well, I suppose that it was a polite request. He worked for an hour to get through my shields and couldn't. He was thrilled that I let him see all sorts of memories once I lowered my shields. When he left my mind, he was proud of me. He called me a treasure and then he agreed to my plan and said that he would await my father's call on Easter." Her father was smirking now, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He completely disregarded her expression, however.

"Sweet, you forgot to tell them that Krum offered to take you out for an official apology and when you told him no, he grabbed your arm. She threw him back ten feet and landed him on his arse. The whole room was laughing. She warned him that if he hurt the two of you at all that she would make him suffer worse than Bellatrix and then pointed him in Rodolphus' direction so he could tell him what his late wife suffered." Hermione openly glared at her father now while Harry and Draco both scooted closer to her. Everyone acted like they didn't see but it was clear as day that they were jealous. The Headmaster spoke.

"You did well, Hermione. At least now we have a plan and Tom is overly confident in his chances. Good thinking making him think that everyone has turned on me." Hermione snorted quietly. She really wanted to inform him that that was more of a true statement than he realized but she kept quiet. The last thing they needed was internal drama. Instead, she nodded.

"I think that you need to call a meeting with the rest of the Order and tell them the plan. If you could please inform them that no matter what they see, I'm not the enemy and to not try to kill me? I really don't want everyone to know the secret of my paternity until after since it could still get back to my grandfather." The Headmaster gave her a solemn nod, so she continued.

"We're going to meet with our friends and my brother and let the know what is going to happen. We'll speak with the upper years of the D.A. at our next meeting. Mr. Weasley, I'm going to tell Ginny what's going on, but it will be up to you if she's able to fight." The redhead gave her a solemn nod, so she continued.

"I also told Ron to meet us there. He isn't going to be happy if he finds out that the rest of his family was fighting for their lives and he wasn't there to join in. If he throws a fit and I don't think I can trust him, I'll obliviate him. I don't want to, but I also know that this information cannot be leaked, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that it doesn't." Although Arthur didn't look happy, he nodded his agreement.

Hermione stood so Harry and Draco followed. She assumed that the adults were going to call an Order meeting or discuss when they should, so she was quick to leave since they weren't full Order members. They let her lead the way until they were in the corridor and the griffin had taken its place in front of the staircase once more. Harry sounded angry when he spoke.

"I can't believe that Bulgarian arsehole! You should have done more than blast him off his arse when he touched you like that, 'Mi." Hermione smiled an indulgent smile at her boys.

"I wanted to, trust me. I can't lose it this far in the game and blow my cover. It would be disastrous. This way, he was a laughingstock and he won't try to hurt either one of you." Draco was even more put out as they made their way to the seventh floor.

"I can't believe you invited Weasel. He's a complete waste of air and magic, he won't be any help in the battle." Hermione took both their hands in hers and squeezed them.

"I don't like it anymore than you do. It's not so much for him, it's for Arthur and the rest of the kids. The rest of them are fine, it's just Ron and Molly that are out of line. They deserve to know that he's safe, even if he's a complete wanker." They both sighed at her explanation. Harry paced the corridor while Draco wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Fine but promise that you'll stay away from him. You can talk, and he can listen but if you have to obliviate him, let someone else subdue him." Hermione nodded at his words. She could give them that. Harry opened the door to find everyone assembled, sitting around the room in little bean bag chairs. The twins and Neville all whistled when they saw Hermione; she had completely forgotten that she was still in the witch's robes that she had worn to her grandfather's meeting. Hermione blushed before dropping down into one of the free bean bags.

"We wanted you guys to be the first to know. The things that we've been doing to ensure that Voldemort will die, we're done with that. I went to meet my grandfather tonight and pitched him a plan to make him think that he's going to win the whole wizarding world. I must pretend to kill the Headmaster, have my father send for him, and then have whoever wants to fight and the Order hidden away so we can take them down. The three of us are going to have to take down the Dark Lord but the rest of his followers are free game. Gin, Luna, only fifth years and above can fight without parent's permission, so you'll have to clear it with your parents. If they won't, you could always help Madam Pomfrey. I have a feeling she's going to be busy." Hermione heaved a deep sigh as she wiped a hand down her face.

"Nobody here is being told to fight, I want to make that clear. We just want to make sure that if you want to fight, you have the chance. We're going to bring this up at the next D.A. meeting as well." Neville was the one who broke the silence.

"When? I want to make sure that I brush up on spells." Hermione smiled at him and Harry answered.

"Easter, at dinner. It's going to be a clusterfuck but it's what we have to do to end that psycho motherfucker." The twins leaned forward excitedly.

"Count us in. What can we do?" Hermione grinned at the twin terrors.

"It's funny you should say that. I was wondering if you could come up with a prank or something that could incapacitate at least several people at once. I don't really care how you go about it so long as our people don't get hurt in the process. It would be very helpful since we're still going to be extremely outnumbered even with the aurors that will show up." Ginny and Luna were both silent and Hermione couldn't help but wonder how long that was going to last. Hermione decided to throw one more fact out there to them.

"You also can't harm Lucius Malfoy. He's been feeding us information and doing his level best to end this war in our favor. He's wanted out for a long time. I'm just letting the Weasleys in the room know that he's off limits." Luna spoke before Ron could; it was obvious that the redhead wanted to blow up.

"I actually want to help Madam Pomfrey, I don't think I'm good enough to fight. I'll stay behind and just report to her when it all goes to shite." Ginny smiled wide at her.

"I want to fight but if mum and dad won't let me, I'll go with you." Hermione grinned at both of them and the twins both leaned over and put their arms around the pair. When it was silent for several seconds, Ronald finally let go.

"I can't believe that any of you are falling for this load of shite. She's lying to us because she wants her grandfather to win. She's turned dark and I'm going to tell everyone about it." Hermione went to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can't possibly believe that, Ronald. Why would I ever turn dark?" He shot her a scathing look.

"I really couldn't tell you. I don't have the blood of a megalomaniac running through my veins and fucking with my mind." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're really going to tell everyone what our plans are? Your parents are going to be at this fight. You want to give them away?" He snorted in her direction but made no move to step closer. It seemed that he had learned his lesson even all these months later.

"Oh, I'm going to tell them that they're fucking idiots, that you and your Death Eater father can't be trusted. You're all just leading us into a trap." Hermione shook her head and the twins seemed to realize that she couldn't let this go.

"I'm sorry, Ronald, but I can't allow that to happen. I can't have you getting all of us killed because you're being dumb as fuck. I'm going to have to obliviate you. You can find the information out on Easter and be unpleasantly surprised."

Hermione figured that Harry and Draco would rush forward and restrain him since they had told her that they would handle him, but the twins beat them to it. Ron wailed and fought, swinging and kicking with the best of them but since the twins were built more like Charlie, he was no match for the two of them combined. Once they had him pinned to the ground, panting and red-faced, Hermione stepped forward, her wand extended.

"I really hate doing this, Ronald. Never in a million years did I want to imagine doing this to someone that I once cared for, but I must to save countless other lives. Forgive me." She heaved a deep breath.

"Obliviate."

Hermione saw his eyes go glassy as she worked through the spell. Since it was only the last ten minutes or so, it didn't take long for her to erase the information. When she was finished, the twins stood and looked at her with wondering eyes. George broke the silence.

"What do we do next?" Hermione met their eyes and couldn't help but apologize.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to do that. I hope you can forgive me." They nodded their acceptance and Hermione realized just what awesome friends they were. She floated into their arms and hugged them both tight much to her mates' displeasure.

"I know I'm not always the best friend but thank you both for being my friends for years. You've always had my back." Both kissed the side of her head before laughing and pulling away.

"You're our sister as much as Ginny is. It's not your fault Ron's a prick." She was a bit teary when they stepped away.

"He's going to be confused for a few hours, so someone needs to take him to his bed and tell him to go to sleep. I erased the fact that he was even here tonight so there shouldn't be any awkward questions." Neville stood up and grinned at her.

"I'll take him. It's past curfew though so hopefully we all make it back without Filch catching us." Hermione sighed in relief at the fact that she had told the Headmaster of their plans.

"I told the Headmaster that we would be doing this so if you get caught and get detention, take it to him. He'll null and void it." Ginny and Luna stood as well, heading for the door with the boys.

"We'll see in the morning, Hermione." She smiled and waved at her female friends, they were few and far between after all. That left her brother who had been silent for the whole ordeal. Once she turned her attention his way, he whistled.

"Damn, Hermione, that was bloody hot. Not many girls could just obliviate a bloke without a second thought. You're a total badarse." She smirked his way and decided to take that look off his face.

"Does badarse quite cover me keeping the Dark Lord out of my mind for over an hour and not breaking a sweat? He's the one who quit, not me." His mouth dropped open and he couldn't help but laugh. Hermione let him have his happy moment but made sure to turn it back serious.

"You don't have to fight, Teddy. Your father will be there fighting, he was there tonight. I know you hate him, but I could never ask you to fight against your own family." He came forward and pulled her into a hug as well. It seemed to be a trend for the evening.

"You've been more my family in the last however many months than he has been his whole life. I'm fighting and it's going to be for you." Hermione buried her face in his robes but hid the fact that she shed a few tears at his words. When she pulled away, she was composed but she knew her eyes were red-rimmed.

"You're my family too, Teddy. If we win this, you should go on vacation with Severus and I. You're his family too." She wasn't one hundred percent sure that her father felt that way, but she was going to browbeat him into it if he didn't agree. After pressing a kiss to her forehead, her brother headed for the door before turning and shooting her a smile. She smiled back and without a word, he was gone.

Both her boys rushed her, holding her close and making sure that she wasn't going to collapse. She had gone through a lot that night, after all. They stayed that way for a long time, clinging to each other and savoring the closeness that they shared with the others. It felt like hours had passed before Harry finally broke the silence and Hermione had never been more pleased.

"Let's go to bed."

-O-

Severus was in awe of his daughter. Not only had she kept the Dark Lord out of her mind, she had hidden away the memories that would be most damaging, further gaining his pride and respect.

He had been worried when Viktor Krum had come forward to grab her arm. Truthfully, he had wanted nothing more than to cut the man down where he stood but he knew that Hermione needed to handle the situation, or the man would neve desist. The last thing they needed was a suitor hanging around that wouldn't take a hint.

The night, overall, had gone quite well. There had been several moments where his heart had almost stopped beating but Hermione had been true to her word. She had pulled through and came out smelling better for it. Her grandfather was completely enamored with her now. It was just a little creepy, but he supposed that they could endure for another two weeks.

Once the children had left the meeting, Albus had wanted to put off having an Order meeting, not wanting to give anyone a chance to leak the secret. He understood that sentiment, but he also knew that there were vows that could be made to make sure that their plans remained a secret. This was finally the idea he had put forth to make sure that they were all informed and ready to go on the 21st.

Minerva had seemed just as irate with him; in fact, she had stayed behind after the meeting to bitch at him he was sure. Remus and Sirius seemed none too happy, but the pair remained quiet and let the older witch get her way to the best of her abilities. Kingsley, Arthur, and Moody were all somewhat surprised at the Headmaster's hesitance to call a full meeting and inform everyone, but Severus was quick to tell him that regardless of what he wanted, it would be happening. The old man had finally capitulated, but it hadn't been gracious.

Severus threw back his last shot of fire whiskey and headed for his quarters. It had been an extremely long day and he was more than ready for bed. The adults had met their goals and set up a meeting even if it hadn't been easy. It made him wonder if Hermione had been as successful with her friends.

Dismissing the whole thought from his mind, he crawled in bed after stripping off his clothes and let sleep take him.

A/N- Another one bites the dust! Dang, I'm on a roll. I have no good excuse for this chapter taking so long to reach you. I was engrossed in Harry Crow by robst that I simply couldn't stop reading it. Forgive me? There just aren't many chapters left and it makes me sad but what can ya do but start a new story? Leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me smile.

Next chapter, final battle plans.

Love,

Alicia


	44. Chapter 44

A/N- I know I said before that I wanted to draw this out and make this story last but it's summertime now and that's the most insane time for my family, therefore, I'm going to try to get a new chapter out every week. I hope to only to only take a few weeks off before the next story begins but I have no idea if that is accurate. I've never finished a story in the summertime before, ha-ha. To everyone that has remained loyal and continued to read and review, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You keep me writing even when I'm sure that I want to give it up.

Disclaimer: I don't own a darn thing, in fact, I could credit every aspect of this story to another author aside from the personal twist that I've put on the plot.

Chapter 44

April 19, 1996

Harry heaved a sigh as the bell rang to head to Herbology. Breakfast had been full of excited chatter by most of the Gryffindor table since it was the last day of classes before Easter break. The students would be taking the Express back to King's Cross the following morning and most everyone was excited.

That did not apply, however, to those that belonged to the D.A. None of them were silent but they were more muted than the other students. Their meeting with the Defense Association had taken place three days ago and it had gone better than he had originally thought that it would.

*Flashback*

The end of the meeting was upon them, and Harry knew that they had to tell everyone involved what was going to be happening on Easter. Harry knew that Hermione was extremely nervous since she couldn't tell them the whole plan and had to hope that they wouldn't lose hope in her once they saw her shoot Dumbledore down. He and Draco had done their best to dispel her fears, but he also knew that they hadn't been successful.

Remus was in attendance, he usually was these days, and he had assured Hermione that he would be more than happy to handle the more difficult questions if they made her uncomfortable. Harry also knew that Hermione had prepared a parchment for everyone to sign to ensure that nobody would go blabbing their secrets before Easter. Remus was unaware of this part, but Harry really didn't think that he would object.

"Everyone gather around, we have something important that we want to talk to you about." All the students stopped their casting and moved closer to the front of the room where Harry was standing by himself. Hermione and Draco moved to his side, Remus standing slightly off to the side, silently showing his support. Everyone waited eagerly for Harry to begin. Rather than take the burden from Hermione, he allowed her to step forward and do what she was determined to do on her own. She smoothed her skirt nervously before squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin.

"What I'm about to tell you is highly confidential information. I'm passing around a parchment that everyone needs to sigh. It's cursed so that if you talk about what you hear here tonight, your tongue will be permanently stuck to the roof of your mouth. You will no longer have the ability to speak. If you aren't willing to sign, please feel free to leave. Nobody will look at you any differently if that is your choice."

To his complete and utter surprise, the parchment made its way around the room and every single person in there signed it. There were a few people that were reluctant to put their names down but, in the end, they decided that they didn't want to be left out of whatever was going on. Once the parchment was back in Hermione's hands and she had made sure that every single person had signed it, she tucked it away in her robes and met their gazes once more.

"There is no easy way to say this. The Order of the Phoenix has been able to lay a trap for Lord Voldemort. He and most of his Death Eaters will be arriving during Easter dinner to take over the school and then later the Ministry. His followers outnumber the Order and even the aurors so we're turning to you for help. We will be allowing those fifth year and above to fight with us if you so choose. This in no way means that you're required to stay behind and fight, I don't want anyone to think that. This right here is giving you the option. You don't have to answer right now but we do need to know your answer by the 19th." The room was silently in shock for the next minute. Terry Boot was the first to recover.

"How do you know that You-Know-Who is going to be here for sure? Surely, he's not stupid enough to believe lies. I heard he can read people's minds." Hermione nodded his way.

"Yes, he can read minds. However, the person that has laid the trap can keep him out of their mind without him even realizing it. He trusts this person implicitly. I really can't go into details but know that every word I just told you is the truth." Harry could tell that the questions were only going to keep coming and it would put Hermione in a precarious position, so he stepped forward again.

"I know that you all have questions, but we can't answer them. If you don't want to fight, the only thing required of you is to go home and keep your mouths shut. I, for one, won't be on the Express, I'll be biding my time, so I can take that snake bastard down." Draco stepped forward next.

"I'm with these two, I'll be putting my wand to good use and fighting those that want to tell me that I can't be with Hermione and Harry because of their blood."

The twins instantly stepped forward and made sure to declare that they would be fighting also, Neville next. Since Ginny and Luna were too young to fight, they remained silent, but Harry knew that both would be helping Madam Pomfrey at the very least. Dean and Seamus were the next to declare that they were ready to fight, Ron, Lavender, and Parvati following suit. All the Gryffindors had committed themselves to the fight before Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw started.

Harry barely held back a grin when everyone in the room looked surprised when Theo stepped forward and declared that he would be fighting along with them. It was well-known that his father was a Death Eater and would cut Theo down if he saw him acting as anything but a proper pureblood scion.

There were still several people that hadn't committed themselves to fighting but Harry could take that. They still had several days to think about it and the Order would accept whatever decision they made. Even though the D.A. was comprised of witches and wizards that were underaged, they were well-trained thanks to Harry and he had every confidence that they would even out the odds in the coming battle.

*End of Flashback*

Harry took Hermione's hand while Draco wrapped an arm around her waist, both guiding her out of the castle to Herbology. It was the last day of classes so there would only be exams today, something that kept Hermione's mind off the coming battle. She was scared to death that she would fail her tests and end up kicked out of Hogwarts. Completely ridiculous, but it did no good to tell her that that just wasn't possible.

The trio entered Greenhouse 3 and took their usual seats. Neville, Dean, and Seamus were seated at the table next to them with Ron, Lavender, and Parvati behind them. Harry still couldn't believe that all three of them had signed the parchment they had passed around during the D.A. meeting, especially after seeing the reaction Ron had when they had told him the night they met with the twins, Neville, Ginny, and Luna. They hadn't caused a scene though, just stepped forward and pledged their wands to the fight. As much as he didn't like the three of them, he could respect them for their decision.

Professor Sprout was in fine form, magically passing out their exams. Hermione was taking deep, calming breaths, trying to ready herself for the exam he was sure. He smiled her way, shaking his head softly at how ridiculous she was. Draco was doing the same thing, only smirking rather than smiling. Professor Sprout called for them to start so Harry bent to this exam and did his best.

Herbology was by far his least favorite class so he struggled with spending time to study it. Hermione wouldn't hear of ignoring the subject, however, so Harry felt that he was pretty well-prepared for the exam. He noticed that Hermione finished long before he did and was rechecking her answers, adding in who knew what. Draco had also just finished when Harry answered his last question. Where Draco did like Hermione and went through the exam again to make sure that his answers were correct, Harry didn't. He turned it in, knowing that if he went over it, he would begin to doubt his answers and would probably end up doing worse.

Hermione ended up being the last person to turn her exam in and Harry could only shake his head again in exasperation. She had went through her finished exam four times, making sure that all her answers were correct and fully answered. Draco was leaned over and was whispering something to her once her exam had floated to the Professor's desk. Harry couldn't hear him, but he was well aware that his best friend was scolding her for worrying about a simple exam so much.

The trio rose from their seats when the bell rang and started back for the castle. They had Charms next and Harry felt much better about that exam. Where he had absolutely no interest in Herbology, he did enjoy Charms. Not as much as Defense, mind you, but it was his second favorite class.

There was still a slight chill to the air as they walked across the grounds, spring well and truly in the air. The sun was shining today and there were birds chirping somewhere in the distance. It was a day that Harry would have loved to spend on a broom, up in the air, but he was stuck in the castle taking his exams. Hermione and Draco looked just as sad to be heading back inside.

They found the Charms classroom quickly, taking their usual seats there as well. Harry couldn't help but wonder just why it was that all the students sat at tables for at least two in Hogwarts whereas in his muggle school they were seated individually. He was pulled from his inner thoughts by Professor Flitwick passing out their exams and wasting no time in telling them that they were able to begin.

Harry breezed through this exam, easily answered all the questions. He wasn't worried when he turned it in, confident in his answers. Hermione and Draco were still working diligently on their exams, so Harry pulled out his Defense text to study for that exam. It was to take place after lunch, their last class before the holiday started.

He was lost in the world of stunning spells and the like when the bell rang, and Professor Flitwick dismissed them with a flourish of his wand. They gathered their bags and started for the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione was quietly despairing to the pair of them.

"I know that I got questions four, eight, nineteen, and twenty-six wrong, I'm going to fail it." Draco couldn't stop from rolling his eyes, so Harry decided to field the situation.

"'Mi, I know for a fact that you didn't fail that test. All those questions were answers that I know that I got right, and you are the one who helped me study. If I got them right, you got them right." She calmed slightly at his words before shooting him a smile.

"I know you think I'm being ridiculous, both of you do, but I can't help but worry that I'm going to fail everything, I'll be told that I can't be a witch anymore, and I'll be sent off to live in the muggle world alone. Irrational fears, I know, but I can't help it." Draco leaned over and kissed the side of her head.

"That will never happen, Princess. If by some freak accident that you failed everything and got kicked out of the wizarding world, Harry and I would follow you to the muggle word. You wouldn't be alone. Not to mention your father would be along for the ride too." She grinned at the blond and Harry knew that the crisis had been averted. Maybe Hermione wouldn't stress out so badly for their last exam of the day.

The trio entered the Great Hall together and made their way to the Gryffindor table. They had eaten lunch and dinner with the Slytherins the day before, so Harry was more than happy to be back at their usual table. The snakes didn't bother him so much anymore, but he was far more comfortable with the lions surrounding him.

They settled into their usual seats and Harry grabbed the roast chicken and potatoes, so he could serve some to not only himself but Hermione as well. He knew that it irritated her when they served her plate, but they continued to do it anyway. She was always the one taking care of them and this was one way that they could care for her. Even though she hated it, she allowed the practice to continue. They had just started to dig into their meal when Fred leaned over and waved his wand around them, assuring them that nobody else could hear their conversation. George leaned over now to open the conversation.

"We thought about what you asked of us, 'Mi, and I think that we can help you out. We want your opinions before we take it to the meeting tonight." Harry groaned inwardly.

There was a meeting after dinner with the whole of the Order and some of the students involved. It was purely to go over their strategy and hammer out any problems before the day was upon them. Harry was looking forward to it as much as he would have been looking forward to fucking Lavender again. Not at all. It was going to consist of Dumbledore grandstanding and trying to take the credit for their hard work and he was sure that McGonagall was going to put him in his place. He would much rather spend the evening in the arms of Hermione while Draco fucked her from behind. Hermione, though, was apparently of a different opinion since she nodded her agreement. Fred continued.

"We have made what we can a portable swamp. It's basically sludge that if you step in it, you get stuck there. For this fight, however, we've modified it. We've thinned it out a little, so it won't be as noticeable to those that aren't looking for it. Not only would they be stuck and unable to move, we also created a spell that when cast at the swamp, it would be like muggle electricity hitting them. Probably not enough to kill them, but enough to make them drop their wands. Once the wands are in the swamp there won't be any getting picked up. We would have to make sure that our side was aware of what stepping in it would mean so they would be careful. Truthfully, though, we think we should only set it off in one area. Much bigger of an area and we could all end up paying the same price as the Death Eaters."

Harry thought the idea was brilliant; the more Death Eaters they could relieve of their wands, the more they wouldn't have to worry about. Hermione looked a little leery, probably scared that one of their side would get caught in it, lose their wands, and then get hit with something deadly by someone outside of the swamp. He had the same fears, but they would have to reiterate to their side that staying out of the swamp was a matter of life and death. Hermione finally nodded reluctantly.

"I'm not sure what to think about this. It could be a great boon to our side if our people weren't caught up in it and hit while defenseless by Death Eaters not in the swamp. It makes me nervous, but I think this could help us out a lot. I say we bring it up at the meeting." Harry reached out and rubbed her thigh, knowing that she hated making decisions like this that could lead to their friends and family getting hurt. The twins beamed at her, smiles wide on their faces.

"We'll make sure that everyone knows. Maybe we can come up with some sort of bracelet or something that would keep the electricity from flowing through them, that way they could keep their wands if they got stuck. We'll start working on it this afternoon, we've already finished all our exams." Now Hermione grinned at them, much happier with this idea.

"That would be wonderful. I'm just scared of someone on our side getting hurt." Harry kissed the side of her head.

"We know, 'Mi, and we love you for it." The twins both nodded before turning back to their food. Hermione wandlessly canceled the silencing charm so they could all go back to their meals.

The rest of lunch passed by without incident. The younger students were loud enough to cover the fact that most of the upper year lions were quiet as church mice. Harry could see that there were worried faces throughout the Great Hall, but he could also see determination and a will to fight and win. If they didn't win this battle, they would all go down fighting. This thought should have frightened him, but it didn't. If anything, it made him feel better. He wasn't sure that he wanted to go through life without Hermione and Draco at his side. He was certain that they felt the same way.

The bell rang, dismissing them from lunch to make their way to their next class. Defense Against the Dark Arts with Remus was sure to be an interesting exam since the werewolf had refused to tell them what their exam would consist of. They traversed the six floors of the castle to their friend's classroom only to find that all the desks were shoved to the side of the room, leaving a large empty spot in the middle. Remus was waiting for them inside, smiling softly at their obvious confusion.

"Come in, everyone, put your bags on the desks at the end of the room. This isn't going to be a conventional exam by any means. In fact, we're going to be dueling. For the duration of this year, we've focused on protective and offensive spells. Now, we're going to put them into use and see where you stand against your peers. You won't fail if you're beat, don't worry about that. You'll be graded on your spells and their strengths, if they're cast correctly, and the reaction time you have when spells are sent your way."

Harry was thrilled. He loved practical classes and the fact that Remus had made their exam practical as well was awesome. He was quick to lay his bag out on the desks that Remus indicated, just as the rest of the class was. Only Hermione seemed to be disappointed at the thought of no written exam.

Remus quickly paired them up and told them that they would be fighting in front of the class. The winners of these pairs would be paired with the other winners, so on and so forth until there was only one person left standing. Hermione looked less than thrilled with this and Harry had a feeling that it was because she was going to have to temper her power, so she didn't flatten the whole class. All she wanted was to be able to practice at full power but there wasn't a chance that she could do that unless it was against her father. Harry knew that he and Draco had faster reflexes than she did, were extremely powerful, but she had ten times the power that they did. If she ever landed a curse, it would obliterate them.

The first round found Harry pitted against Goyle, Draco against Dean, and Hermione against Lavender. Lavender looked terrified at the pairing, clearly not wanting to face off against Hermione. Several pairs went before Draco and Dean were called to the middle of the room. Their duel was fast and furious, both casting spells and shields left and right. It was clear to Harry, however, that Draco was just toying with him. When he finally decided to end it, he had disarmed Dean and had him flat on his back in seconds.

Pansy fought Parvati next before Harry and Goyle were called forward. Harry really did try to give the Slytherin a chance; nobody wanted to tell their parents that they had failed an exam. His spells were sloppy, however, and the Gryffindor just didn't see them getting any better. He didn't give him even half as long as Draco gave Dean before he disarmed him and turned him into a kitten. The crowd went wild behind him, but Harry chalked it up to the fact that it was because he was the Boy-Who-Lived.

Daphne faced Theo next, Theo winning within minutes of their duel beginning. Hermione clapped enthusiastically for her brother until her name came up next. Harry could see that she was confident in going up against Lavender in a duel. They bowed to each other and when Remus called for them to start, they both went on the offensive.

Hermione wasn't really trying, of that Harry was one hundred percent sure. Her spells were lazy, her shields weak, and she always waited a moment too long to cast. Lavender was growing more confident at the fact that Hermione hadn't knocked her on her arse yet. Her spells were getting bolder and she couldn't help but gloat just a little bit.

"What's wrong, Granger, can beat me up but you can't win against me in a duel?" Harry only shook his head at the stupidity of the blond girl. Hermione narrowed her eyes before she casually flicked her wand, hitting Lavender's shield with a stunning spell that was strong enough to make her shield flicker and disappear. Hermione quickly cast another stunner her way, nailing Lavender right in the face. Hermione didn't wait for Remus to say anything, she strode over to the fallen Gryffindor and woke her up. Hermione was positively glaring.

"I was allowing you to show that you could duel, allowing you to get a good grade. Now everyone saw just how simple it was for me to beat you. Thanks for a passing grade." Hermione made her way back over to himself and Draco, the class silent around them. Remus waited for Lavender to stand and go back to Ron and Parvati before he spoke.

"Hermione was the winner and that was our last pair. All those that didn't win, please go take your seats at the end of the room. The rest of you, I'll pair you up on the board."

Harry started rubbing Hermione's shoulders, kneading the knots that always managed to appear when she was stressed. Draco had hold of her hand and was rubbing her knuckles with his thumb, the combination making their girl melt into Harry. When Remus stepped back from the board, Harry felt an irrational sense of rage. Not because he was paired with Theo or because Draco was paired with Seamus, but because Hermione was paired with Ron. That was the last person that she had any business being paired with. Hermione's breath hitched against him and he couldn't help but to tighten his hold on her shoulders. She turned and kissed his hand, still gripping her shoulders tight.

"Don't worry about me, I'll kick his arse. He has it coming." Harry did his best not to worry. She had threatened to kill her grandfather and the Gryffindor truly believed that she could have. Ron was nothing compared to Voldemort, especially when she knew that he was coming at her.

Draco faced Seamus first, taking his time to let the Irish boy show what he had. After several minutes, Draco grew tired of toying with him and simply stunned him. Once he revived him, Seamus congratulated him and told him that he had done well. To say that Draco was gob smacked would have been an understatement. Blaise and Faye were next, Blaise beating her after several minutes. Harry was called to compete next, giving Theo a genuine bow.

The pair went at each other for several minutes with neither of them giving an inch. Harry knew that he could beat him, he had done so several times in their D.A. meetings, but he didn't want to humiliate his mate's brother. He was a decent guy and she wouldn't want him to look bad. After ten minutes of going back and forth, Harry ended it by stunning Theo just a second before he could cast his shield. The crowd went wild, for both apparently since the Slytherins were cheering too. Theo was revived in just moments and grinned openly at Harry before telling him job well done.

Hermione was called to the center of the room to face off against Ron. Harry thought that the look on his face was more menacing than usual, but he kept telling himself that it was just in his head, that Ron wouldn't dare try anything in front of a professor, even one that was considered friends with his family. When Remus called for them to begin, it was clear that Hermione was toying with him.

The redhead was throwing everything he had into all his spells. Harry couldn't help but worry that one of his spells would get through and hurt Hermione. If that happened, he wasn't sure that he could keep control of himself and not kill the rat bastard. It was quite clear that the rest of the room knew exactly what had happened between the pair dueling because they were all sitting on the edges of their seats just waiting for something to happen.

When it did happen, Harry could tell that it was on purpose. There was no way that Hermione had shielded that slow on purpose. Since Ron was casting cutting curses her way, one slipped past and caught her on the top of her shoulder, blood blossoming on her white oxford. Harry knew that it was deeper cut than she had planned on getting but now the real Hermione had been unleashed. This was what she had been waiting for. She had let him get the first curse through so when she destroyed him, it would look as if he had started it.

"That's for what you did to Lavender, you crazy bitch." Hermione didn't say a word, she simply grinned at her ex-best friend and cast a blasting curse strong enough to destroy his shield. Once his shield was down, Hermione cast a cutting curse of her own that slashed across his chest, opening his oxford wide, blood spilling down his abdomen. With a silent expelliarmus, his wand was in her hand and the room went wild.

Lavender rushed to Ron's side, her face a picture of worry while Remus looked horrified and surprised all at the same time. Harry and Draco went to Hermione's side, so they could inspect the wound on her shoulder. Even though there was a large amount of blood making its way down her torso, Ron was bleeding more. Both boys were trying to convince her to for go the rest of the class when the redhead went to his feet and stalked over to her, hand held out.

"My wand." Hermione grinned at him.

"That's for what you did to me, you sick rapist wannabe." The whole room went completely silent at his words, but nobody stepped in, not even Remus. When the silence stretched to almost two minutes, Remus stepped forward to make the peace.

"Mr. Weasley, you're free to go to the Hospital Wing for treatment. Miss Granger are you able to continue or do you need the Hospital Wing as well?" Both boys were hissing at her to go get treated but she ignored them.

"I'm more than ready to continue, Professor." Harry couldn't believe that she had ignored them. He reached out and grabbed a hank of her hair to yank on it, exposing her throat to him. His words in her ear were harsh.

"I'm beating your arse tonight. You should have gone to the Hospital Wing to be treated. How dare you ignore us?" Harry could instantly see that he had pushed her too far.

Hermione was the most submissive witch he had ever met in bed. She loved for them to have their way with her in whatever way they decided was the best. There were no complaints, not even when they drove her to tears because they had denied her for so long. This did not hold true for their life outside of the bedroom, however. Hermione was very much in control of her own life and her own destiny. Harry couldn't even admit surprise when she shrugged him off her and glared at him.

"I dare because I can. I don't recall you being my father and I don't recall telling you that you would be making decisions for me. I may let you have control in the bedroom but that extends no further. I'm in charge of my own life. If you can't handle that, find someone else who can. For the record, I may let you spank me, but you will never beat me." Harry could see the fury in her eyes and he couldn't blame her. He had taken it a step too far and the only way to fix it would be to apologize and hope that she accepted it. Before that could happen, however, she was called forward for the next duel, her against Blaise.

The duel was fast and furious, and Harry could tell that her responses were just a tiny bit slower due to her wound. It was several minutes before she ended Blaise with a well-placed disarming spell. He grinned at her, clearly thrilled that he had made it as far as he had. Harry and Draco were called up next, the last pair to go before the final.

Their duel was something that had happened several times in the past. They were usually the ones to demonstrate in the D.A. since neither wanted to imagine casting spells at Hermione. This duel lasted almost twenty minutes before Draco was tripped up by one of his shoelaces that had come untied. Harry used the moment to his advantage and disarmed his best friend, both grinning widely at each other. The class was clapping like crazy, so Remus waited until they had settled before he announced the final pair.

"The final pair will be Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Whoever wins will be awarded no homework for the first week back to school."

Harry wasn't quite sure how this was going to play out. He really didn't want to fight Hermione, but he also really wanted to have no homework for a week. He knew that she could beat him within minutes if she really wanted to, so he really had no idea what to do. He had just finally decided to let her win since she was angry with him when Remus called for them to begin. To his great surprise, Hermione dropped her wand on the ground and turned to Remus.

"I withdraw. If you need to fail me, do it." Harry couldn't believe that she had just handed the victory to him. His confusion must have shown on his face because she narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm very angry with you. The last thing that should happen is for me to turn my wand on you. That's just a recipe for disaster. Congratulations." She didn't give him a chance to speak before she made her way to her bag, picked it up and slung it over her shoulder, and left. Harry met eyes with Draco as Remus started to speak.

"Harry Potter is our winner, thus winning a week of no homework when we return from the holidays. Class dismissed." Harry and Draco wasted no time in gathering their things, so they could follow Hermione out of the classroom and to the Hospital Wing. Draco spoke first.

"Were you serious about beating her arse?" Harry could tell that the blond didn't agree with beating, which he really didn't either, but wanted to convey exactly what happened.

"No, I would never beat her black and blue. I was going to spank her and not let her come, I would never hurt her seriously. I love her for Merlin's sake." Draco visibly relaxed at his words.

"You need to tell her that. Yeah, I'm mad that she didn't go straight to the Hospital Wing, but we can't threaten her like that. She's very much in control of her own destiny, her own future, we can't tell her that we control her everyday life if we hope to continue to control her sex life." Harry raked a hand through his hair and nodded.

"I know, I fucked up. I don't want to control her life, but I want her to be safe and get treatment. I didn't go about conveying that in the best of ways."

The pair were silent for the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing. Once they reached the doors, they could hear shouting and it was in that moment that Harry knew exactly why Hermione hadn't wanted to go to the Hospital Wing at the same time as the Weasel.

"You're such a hypocrite, Hermione. You tell me that you aren't a whore, that you deserve to be treated better, but you're currently shagging two men at the same time. That's the very definition of a whore." Harry could tell that Hermione had let her temper get away with her since she was shouting back.

"You would know what a whore was, wouldn't you? You're with Lavender after all. Maybe you should ask her what she and Parvati did with Harry when they weren't even dating? Maybe ask her about all the other blokes she's fucked. I may not be perfect but don't point a finger at me with a term that you've already invited into your bed." Ron threw a bed pan across the room in her direction. Madam Pomfrey was trying to calm them down, trying to get them to stop arguing, but she was failing miserably.

"At least Lavender isn't a frigid bitch. You never would have kept me satisfied, I'm not sure why I even wanted between your thighs. You won't ever find a man that will take you seriously since you've started this shit with those two wastes of space. I hope they knock you up and then realize the mistake they've made and leave you high and dry. You deserve to be all by yourself. You deserve to be miserable." All the glass breaking in the infirmary was what brought Harry and Draco out of their stupor at the door. Hermione had obviously lost control of her magic and she was clearly struggling to keep it from hurting other people. Both boys rushed in, Draco to Hermione's side and Harry to Ron. His wand appeared in his hand, the stunning spell leaving his wand without a second thought. If he had spoken just one more word who knew what Hermione would have done.

Madam Pomfrey was watching from the doorway to her office, terrified expression on her face. Lavender watched on from Ron's side helplessly. Harry turned to see Hermione was stiff as a board, eyes wild, and having no part in Draco comforting her. Knowing that it would have to be a joint effort, he joined Draco at her side. His hands cupped her cheeks while Draco carded his fingers through her hair.

"'Mi, everything is going to be fine. You didn't hurt anyone, and the windows can be replaced. I'll pay for them myself. Don't let yourself lose control, Ronald Weasley isn't worth that." Her breathing slowed, and she finally turned to meet his eyes. He could tell the exact moment when she realized what she had done.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to lose control, I didn't mean to let him get the better of me. That's why I didn't want to go to the Hospital Wing, I knew that he would poke and prod at me until I lost it." Harry leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry too, baby. I never meant that I was going to beat you. I just wanted you to be safe and get treatment as soon as possible. I never thought about what would happen if you went to the Hospital Wing with him. Please forgive me." Hermione nodded, face falling, as she leaned into Draco's side.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble. I broke all the windows and I was terrible to Madam Pomfrey." Harry kissed her softly before he chuckled.

"Madam Pomfrey saw him egging you on, saw him throwing things at you. The glass can be repaired, watch." Harry swept his wand around the room, casting a spell to fix everything in the room. After several seconds, the windows were all back to normal. Lavender was still hovering at Ron's side but remained silent. Madam Pomfrey stepped forward, her features soft.

"I know you didn't mean any harm, Miss Granger. This incident need not leave the Hospital Wing. I should have done more to stop Mr. Weasley from antagonizing you." Even though Harry silently agreed with her, he remained quiet.

The mediwitch moved forward to heal Hermione, Harry and Draco moving back to let her have as much room as she needed. Minutes later, Madam Pomfrey stepped back with a smile.

"You're as good as new. The scar potion will keep you from scarring permanently as long as you take it again in the morning." Harry watched as Hermione grinned at the mediwitch.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I appreciate it. Should I go tell the Professor McGonagall what happened here? It would make it easier on you." The mediwitch smiled this time and then shooed them towards the door.

"I'm telling nobody what happened here, so I see no need for you to tell anyone either. If Mr. Weasley says something, it will be a clear case of his word against mine." Even though Hermione disagreed with this idea in general, she wasn't about to get Madam Pomfrey in trouble. Therefore, she would keep their secret and let Ron bluster about it if that's what made him feel better. There was nobody else present for the fireworks between them, meaning that it truly would be a clear-cut case of his word against hers.

Harry threaded his fingers with Hermione's and started to pull her towards the Great Hall for dinner. He couldn't quite believe it but their free period between Defense and dinner was almost over. It hadn't seemed like that long that they were in the Hospital Wing. Once they were in the corridor, they walked three-wide, Hermione planted firmly in the middle of them. Harry had to make sure that they were alright.

"You're sure that you know I would never seriously hurt you? You know I don't really want to control your life and your decisions?" Hermione squeezed his hand softly.

"I know you don't want to hurt me. I also know that I don't mind getting spanked but it's not okay to threaten me with a beating because I didn't do what you wanted. You can only punish me with my permission and when you act like that you won't ever have my permission." Harry nodded his head.

"I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't make myself very clear in the way that I wanted to. Please forgive me." Hermione smiled at him before wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him close.

"Of course, I forgive you. Just so you know, you owe me a hundred back rubs if I just failed that exam because I was too angry to fight you." Harry and Draco both burst out in laughter.

"I'll give you those hundred back rubs and more even if you didn't fail." She looked very pleased with herself, so Harry didn't comment any further. Their argument had ended on a high note; there was no need to make the situation worse.

The trio entered the Great Hall for dinner, Harry leading the way to the Gryffindor table. They took their usual seats and he wasn't surprised to hear that their duels were the highlight of the conversations. It seemed that nobody was surprised to hear that Harry, Hermione, and Draco had all made it to the top of the tier, having to fight each other. What nobody understood was why Hermione hadn't fought against Harry.

Truthfully, when he thought about it, Harry was glad that Hermione had bowed out of the duel. He knew that he was powerful, even more so with their triad magic fueling him, but he was well-aware that Hermione was ten times more powerful than he was. She could have easily blasted him into pieces if she had been angry enough. Honestly, he wasn't sure that she hadn't been that angry at him when they had been called to duel one another.

Hermione served herself dinner, much to Harry and Draco's irritation. However, considering how their afternoon had gone, they weren't about to say a word about it. Harry was starved so he waited no time whatsoever before he started inhaling the food on his plate. Draco was just as bad as he was, just a touch bit slower. They did employ manners, thank goodness, they never wanted to be as disgusting as Ronald Weasley in that manner.

Dinner passed by quickly, with little to no interference from other students. Some of them wanted to comment on the fact that Hermione had won a duel against her ex-best friend but for the most part, everyone seemed to realize that it was a sore subject between all of them and left it well enough alone.

Once the trio finally excused themselves from dinner, they knew that their meeting time was upon them. They gathered their things, citing that they were tired from all the dueling that the day had to offer. It was quite clear that nobody believed them but there wasn't a single soul that called them out on their lie.

The twins joined them, being of age, while the rest of their friends nodded their encouragement. Harry was surprised to see that nobody was willing to call them out on what they were really doing, especially since they weren't allowed in the planning stages of the attack. The Gryffindor decided to just be grateful for what he was getting.

The five of them made their way to the Room of Requirement, the Headmaster's office being far too small for the meeting of this magnitude. They were the first to arrive, of course, since they were the ones in charge of opening the room. Neither of the twins said a thing when Draco paced the corridor before the door revealed itself to them. These were secrets that they hadn't been privy to before, so Harry was surprised that they remained quiet.

The five of them didn't speak, they simply sat in their bean bags and waited for the others to arrive. The Headmaster was the first, his face in awe of the room that Draco had created. Sirius and Remus were next, followed closely by Professor McGonagall and Snape. The Weasleys showed up together, Bill and Charlie with them, Kingsley following closely behind. There were several other members that Hermione didn't recall ever meeting before Moody showed up, bringing up the rear. The Headmaster held up his hands, bringing the room to silence.

"We're here to do the final planning for the battle taking place in two days' time. I want to go over the schedule and then assign people to where I think they're going to be needed." He paused briefly while he waited for others to argue wit him. When no arguments were forthcoming, he continued.

"First, a wand oath that what you hear today will not be told, written, or portrayed to another person without my permission. If you aren't willing to give this oath, this meeting is at a close for you." Every single member stepped forward without a second thought. It made Hermione just a little sick to consider just how much trust the Headmaster generated. Those that knew him for what he was even cast their votes in the circle though she suspected that it was because they were supporting herself, Harry, and Draco rather than the Headmaster. Once the oaths had all been made, everyone took their seats in the bean bags the Room had provided. The Headmaster alone remained standing.

"I want to point out that there are certain things that we can't tell everyone. I can't tell everyone how we planted the idea for this plan occur. Please know that if we told everyone, there would be a chance that it was leaked and if it made its way back to Tom's ears, our informant would be ruined, and we would never have a chance like this again." One of the lower-level Order members spoke.

"Are you sure that we can trust whoever put this plan in motion? I would hate to get stuck in a battle that Voldemort was ready for and all of us be slaughtered." Harry could see that Hermione tensed at her words but a soft hand to her thigh calmed her. The Headmaster's tone brooked no argument.

"I trust this person one hundred percent. It's not just their life that would be in danger if this fell through. Those important to this person would surely die as well." Harry felt Hermione's magic swell outward at the Headmaster's words. He knew that it was in response to the old man saying that he and Draco would die. Draco started running his hands down her spine while Harry held her hand. He leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"We're not going to die, don't get upset." She gave him a slight smile as she nodded. The Headmaster continued.

"I want you to know that this person is going to make an attack on my person. I will be faking death, so Severus can summon Tom. I will lower the wards before the attack, making it look like I am indeed dead. Once Tom and his followers have arrived, Tom is going to announce that Severus is the new Headmaster. Minerva is then going to send a patronus to the Kingsley at the Ministry, demanding help since Tom will be there trying to take over and hurting students. Once they arrive, the fight will begin. I want Order members hidden in classrooms outside the Great Hall. There will be certain students from years five and up staying behind to help in this endeavor. Fourth years and under have no choice in the matter, they will not be joining in this battle." The Headmaster paused and conjured a glass that he filled with water, so he could take a drink.

"Harry, Draco, and Hermione are going to have to be the ones to take down Tom. We only have one shot at this and the prophecy demands that Harry be the one to deal the final blow. His magic will be stronger due to their triad strengthening it. The one thing remaining to do before this can happen is to kill Tom's familiar, the snake." He and Draco had talked about it and knew that Hermione would be saddened to kill the snake that genuinely seemed to like her. Therefore, it was Draco that spoke next.

"I think that myself or Severus should be the one to take care of the snake. We've both destroyed objects such as the snake before and Harry will be far too worried about facing the snake-faced bastard. If Severus feels that he can't because of the part he must play when the Dark Lord arrives, I'm more than willing to take the job upon myself." Dumbledore cocked his head to the side and appeared thoughtful.

"I think that plan will work. The two of you may discuss who wants the honor of destroying the dark creature." Hermione spoke up next to him, indignant.

"The snake isn't dark. She was just a snake. Voldemort put dark magic inside her. Nobody should look at killing an innocent animal as an honor." The room was quiet until Molly spoke up.

"That snake would have no problems eating you the second it saw you. He commands it to do his dirty work." Hermione merely cocked an eye brow at the older woman.

"You would be surprised." She refused to say anymore on the matter, so Dumbledore began again.

"I'm willing to take ideas if anyone has any on how to make sure we win this fight." Fred spoke next.

"Hermione said something to us when this first became a plan that it would be nice if George and I could come up with something to help. We have a product called a portable swamp that we have tweaked that I think could help us." The twins both stood and demonstrated their swamp, explaining exactly what it would do. Everyone seemed impressed with their creativity and their ability to adapt their product on short notice. Harry was happy to hear them explain that they had indeed figured out a way to create bracelets that would protect their people from the electricity that would travel through the swamp, but that they needed help refining the runes and mass producing them. Hermione and Draco instantly volunteered, the smiles on the twin's faces blinding. The Headmaster gave an approving nod.

"I think this is a wonderful idea. If you need further help with the bracelets, I'm sure that Minerva and Remus would be able to help."

The plans went on for another two hours, the Headmaster assigning people to rooms for waiting, what each person focus in the battle should be. He did reiterate that Lucius Malfoy wasn't to be harmed, much to the displeasure of those present. They were all skeptical when he told them that he had been informing on Voldemort for months, but they remained quiet.

When everyone finally left, Harry felt Hermione sag in relief against himself and Draco. They left the Room as well, allowing Harry to pace the corridor once more so their room would appear. Once inside, Hermione was quick to strip off her clothes and make her way to the bathroom. Both he and Draco watched her go, enjoying the sight of her bare arse swaying in time with her steps.

Both boys followed her example and stripped as well. Hermione still hadn't emerged from the loo, so they rested on the bed comfortably, hands behind their heads. Draco was the first to speak and it was the first time that Harry could see his friend was scared.

"Do you think we can pull this off?" Harry was terrified as well but he refused to let his fears rule him. He refused to be anything but optimistic.

"I know we can. And we will, we just have to do our best. Everyone knows that Hermione is more powerful than Moldyshorts. We just have to play it smart." There wasn't time for either of them to speak again before Hermione came out of the loo and headed for the bed. She climbed in between them and laid there silent for a few moments.

"We're going to make this work. There is no other option. I don't want to spend my last two nights before this battle worried about the outcome. I want you both to make me forget." Harry needed no further encouragement, and it appeared that Draco didn't either.

Harry caught her mouth in a rough kiss, not asking for entrance but demanding it. Hermione gave in with no fight, submitting to him without question. Draco slid up behind her and began nipping her neck and then switching it to hot, open-mouthed kisses. The Gryffindor knew the exact moment that his friends hand slid down and began pumping in and out of their girl from behind. His fingers were working the soft spot inside her so Harry slithered his hand lower to tweak her nub.

Hermione was panting now, gasping into Harry's mouth with every push and pull of Draco's fingers. Harry knew that tonight wasn't going to be slow and meaningful, it was going to be fast, furious, and passionate. He tore his mouth away from hers, so he could lower it to her perfect tits. Catching a tip in his mouth, he gave it a rough tug before suckling. Hermione was pumping her hips in time with Draco's hand, urging Harry to stroke just a little faster, a little harder.

They were more than happy to comply with her unspoken request. When she came, Harry knew that it was explosive. Her liquid desire flooded not only Draco's hand but Harry's as well. She had just started to come down when her eyes flew open again. Draco was still nipping her shoulder lightly, making Harry aware that he was now fingering her arse.

It didn't take long to prepare her. Harry loved watching her face as Draco slid home inside her tight ring, making a shaky whimper escape her lips. Once he was fully seated inside her, Harry hitched one of her legs over his hips, so he could bury himself in her sweet cunt. It was impossibly tight, but it felt like home. She shuddered around them, making it hard for Harry to concentrate on not blowing his load like he had his first time having sex.

Harry and Draco got in a rhythm, both pulling out of her at the same time and plunging back in. Her head was thrown back against Draco's shoulder, one hand reached behind her and tangled in Draco's blond hair while her other was gripping Harry's shoulder, digging her nails in and marking him. He could feel her arousal running down his balls and he reveled in it.

It didn't take long for their witch to scream her release. The second her pussy tightened down and began spasming around them, Harry couldn't hold back his own release any longer. He went as deep as he could so that when he exploded inside her, it reached her cervix. Draco clamped his teeth down on her shoulder when he followed the two of them in release.

Hermione was boneless between them, her eyes closed with a soft smile on her face. Even though she looked completely sated, Harry wasn't sure that she wouldn't start worrying as soon as she caught her breath. He slid out of her warm sheath, feeling Draco following his example. Harry caught her face in his hands, making her open her eyes.

"How do you feel? Distracted?" She hummed her affirmative response. Harry was more than willing to eat her out, give her another mind-blowing orgasm but he didn't want to exhaust her. Since she was clearly almost asleep already, he made sure to keep that on the menu for the following night. He kissed her forehead while Draco kissed her neck, smiling to themselves as she slipped off to sleep.

Harry cast a cleansing charm on himself and gentle one on Hermione, so she wouldn't wake up a total mess. Draco followed suit, drawing the duvet up over the three of them. The night was silent for at least ten minutes when Draco finally spoke.

"We're going to end that rat bastard, so we can fuck her like that the rest of our lives." Harry chuckled as he pulled her close, feeling Draco snuggle up behind her.

"Fuck yes we are."

-O-

Albus wasn't quite sure how he was going to pull off keeping his job with everything in this fight relying on Hermione Granger. He knew that she wasn't going to back down from his leaving his position unless it was an extremely good reason.

Somehow, he needed to "redeem" himself in her eyes. Maybe if he stepped in and fought Tom in their places. Surely, she would appreciate the fact that neither of her mates would be in danger then. Of course, there was a very real possibility that Tom would take him down. The Dark Lord was half his age and just as powerful, if not more so. It was a gamble but it merited thought. The end could be either very good for him or very bad.

Albus finished the elf wine in his glass, pondering the situation. Even he had to admit that the girl's plan was a good one. Sure, there were many ways that could cause it to end in disaster, but what good plan didn't. It was the best they had, and they were just going to have to do their best with it. He made his way up the stairs to his private quarters. He undressed quickly before sliding under his blankets.

He would consider the situation more closely in the morning when he wasn't exhausted. He had to find a way to fix what young Hermione had destroyed. Albus could only hope that it worked.

A/N- There she is, kids, another chapter down. For some reason, I really struggled getting this written. Nothing too exciting regarding the plot but who doesn't love a little bit of Ron getting his ass kicked by badass Hermione? Anyways, leave me your thoughts, they make me smile.

Next chapter, the battle begins.

Love,

Alicia


	45. Chapter 45

A/N- The final battle has arrived. This is split into two chapters and yes, this one ends in a cliffhanger. Please don't kill me. I will do my absolute best to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. For those that continue to read and review, thank you so much. The end is drawing near, only three more official chapters including this one and two epilogues. It saddens me that this labor of love is almost over but I'm trying to stay positive that the next story will be just as much fun to write. Thanks for keeping me motivated, y'all. Enough for now, I must start writing!

Side note: I've had a few problems replying to reviews so if you didn't get a reply, I apologize.

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. Triads have been done before, the characters belong to J.K.R., Hermione being related to Snape and Voldy has been done before, as has badass Hermione. Only the personal twist on this story belongs to me.

Trigger Warning: Rape but nothing graphic. Major character death.

Chapter 45

April 21, 1996

Draco woke slowly, the warm weight of Hermione on his chest and Harry's hand on his belly. He wanted to savor this moment forever since he wasn't sure if he would ever get another one. It was Easter and their fight with Voldemort would become a reality today at lunch.

The three of them had made love for hours the night before; they had all agreed that none of them could afford to use their energy this morning for something other than their battle with Voldemort. The last thing they could afford was not having full power because they had spent the morning shagging. Instead, they had used their last evening together to their advantage, pleasuring each other for hours before dropping off to sleep after 2 a.m. Since it was almost nine now, they still managed to get a good night's sleep.

Hermione stirred on top of him, causing a chain reaction that woke Harry as well. Draco knew that they were awake, laying there silent next to him. Draco didn't mind. It was peaceful and calming, a balm to her nervous heart. He was scared to death that either he, Harry, or Hermione would be killed today. That wasn't something that he even wanted to contemplate but under the circumstances, he really didn't have a choice. Hermione finally broke the silence but didn't move a muscle.

"We're going to win this. I will do everything in my power to make sure that we can do this for the rest of our lives." Both boys nodded against her, so she continued.

"This being said, everything in my power also means my life. If I die today, I want you both to promise me that you'll both move on and do your best to be happy. I love you both more than life and I would never want you to be alone just because you would feel guilty about moving on. Promise me." Draco felt his blood freeze at her words. Harry was the first to respond though, always more adept at navigating emotional situation.

"You aren't going to die today, 'Mi. You're going to win us this war." Hermione clutched Draco tighter at Harry's words.

"We all know that my grandfather is more powerful than Dumbledore and even though I'm more powerful than he is, he has decades more experience. I don't have the best reflexes and all it takes is one mistake. I know I've been practicing with Dad but that doesn't automatically mean that I'm going to win. I'm going to do everything in my power to live and win this fight but I'm also a realistic person. Promise me." Draco could see that this was important to her and even though he was quite sure that he would never find another witch that could take her place, he wanted to make sure that he appeased her. The last thing he wanted to do was have her worrying about him while she was fighting for her life. Therefore, he bent and captured her lips in a short and sweet kiss.

"I promise, Princess." Harry eyed him over Hermione's shoulder and he knew that Harry could tell he was lying. It was also clear why he was doing so. Harry sighed heavily.

"I promise too, 'Mi. You aren't going to die today though. Between the two of us and your father, throw in a little Lucius Malfoy, you're going to live forever." She chuckled softly at his words.

Neither one of the boys asked her to move on from them if they died. They both knew that it would be pointless since she had made clear several times since the date had been set for the battle that she would never be able to move on. There was no sense in bringing it up again and causing an argument.

The trio laid there for another hour, silent and still as they enjoyed each other's company for what was possibly the last time. It was almost ten when Harry finally sighed and sat up. He looked at the two of them and Draco could tell that he was going to tell that it was time for them to up and start getting around. They had already missed breakfast but there were more important things than food.

"We need to get up and start getting ready for the day. Lunch is in two hours." Draco felt a thrill of anticipation roll through him. He was by no means excited to fight in the biggest battle their world had seen in decades but there was also a rush of excitement at finally ending the terror that Voldemort had brought upon them all.

Draco and Hermione both dragged themselves out of their bed, both heading off in the directions of their wardrobes. They had all bathed the night before, so they would have less of demand on their time. Draco decided to wear his usual trousers and dress shirt, it would seem odd to see him in school in something more casual and comfortable.

Harry could be seen throwing on jeans and tee-shirt, a pair of trainers completing his casual look. Since he was usually seen wearing this sort of attire on the weekends, it was no great surprise that he would wear it to Easter dinner. Hermione was the only one that was in a quandary of what to wear. The school would balk at seeing her in anything other than her muggle clothing, but the Dark Lord wouldn't be happy to see her dressed as anything less than a proper pureblood witch, even though she surely didn't meet the criteria of a pureblood. In the end, she had decided to dress in her usual muggle clothing so nobody on her grandfather's side could accuse her of letting the other side in on the fact that this was supposed to be an ambush.

Therefore, Hermione was dressed in her usual jeans, a little tighter than usual so the loose legs couldn't get caught on anything as she fought. She wore a lovely blue blouse that matched the color of her eyes perfectly. Trainers adorned her feet as well. Since she had been leaving her hair down since her glamour had been lifted, she made sure to leave it down today as well. Draco thought that as a whole, they were not about to give the game away when the Death Eaters arrived.

Before they left the safety of their room, the trio stopped and joined hands. Harry spoke first, his voice thick with emotion.

"I know that we can't go out there and show that we're scared, that we're worried about the outcome but before we left I wanted to tell both of you that the time I spent with you two has been the best time of my life. I love you both and look forward to spending the rest of my life with the pair of you." Draco watched as Hermione threw herself into his arms. She hugged him close and spoke into his neck.

"I love you both more than life. I plan on going out there and kicking my grandfather's arse, so we can get through school and I can pretend to be surprised when you both ask me to marry you. I want to have your children and be happy." Draco stepped forward and hugged Hermione from behind, meeting Harry's eyes over her head.

"I love you both as well. I never realized that I could be as happy as I am, I never thought that I would get the chance to be with either one of you. I, for one, will be doing everything in my power to make sure that the snake-faced bastard dies today." Hermione took the situation one step further.

"If one of us dies today, we all need to promise to be there for the other person. I don't want you two to be torn apart if I die. You don't have to be in another triad but don't stop being friends." Both Draco and Harry kissed her before they agreed.

The trio pulled away from each other and took a collective deep breath before stepping out of their person haven the Room of Requirement created for them on a nightly basis. Draco knew better than most how to put his mask on, so nobody could see how bloody terrified he was. Hermione and Harry did the best they could with it but weren't near as successful since they were Gryffindors at heart.

Most of the fifth, sixth, and seventh year Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students had stayed behind. Not all of them were going to be in the Great Hall, however, when this whole charade began. She had told her grandfather that there wouldn't be too many students that stayed behind so they had to keep a low profile until the fighting broke out. Therefore, the trio headed to the end classroom on the right on the bottom floor, the room serving as command center for the light's troops.

Draco should probably have felt guilty that he, Harry, and Hermione had slept late and allowed everyone else to handle things until they got there but he didn't. He had taken the task of killing Nagini upon himself and the three of them were charged with taking down the Dark Lord. It was going to be no easy feat so if people wanted to get angry that they were there late, they could kiss his lily-white arse.

The room turned collectively to stare at them as they entered but none of them paid anyone any mind. Molly was the one who stood out the most with a disapproving look but remained silent. Draco had a feeling that it had to do with Arthur's restraining hand on her elbow. The twins, Neville, Ginny, and Luna all came forward, taking their turns wrapping all three of them in hugs. Draco, while he didn't mind hugs from Hermione at all, had even grown used to occasional hugs from Harry, was distinctly uncomfortable with his friends hugging him. His family had never been very demonstrative, so this was still an area that he needed work in. The twins were the first to speak.

"We were scared that the three of you had fallen into a shag coma and missed your alarm." Hermione turned a tomato red while Harry and Draco both chuckled.

"No, just taking a little extra time to get our heads straight. I must kill the snake and then we must take on Moldy. It's not something to be taken lightly." They both laughed but they could tell that it was stilted. Ginny spoke next.

"Mum and Dad won't let me fight even though I've been training the same as the twins and Ron. I'll be out there helping Madam Pomfrey, Luna too. We still want to do whatever we can to help even if we can't fight." Hermione stepped forward and pulled both girls into a hug.

"We love you for it. Besides, if things go south it will be nice knowing that the pair of you might escape punishment." Hermione stumbled under the onslaught of hugs the girls bestowed upon her.

"None of that talk, 'Mi, you're going to kick old Voldy's arse and then we're going to party for a full week." Hermione laughed at her only girlfriends.

"You have yourselves a deal." The twins and Neville were much more circumspect in their actions, none of them throwing themselves in anyone's arms just because the situation was rife with tension. Aside from that first hug, they were back to business as usual. It was Neville though, that broke the silence.

"You'll promise to be careful. I don't want to have to bury any of my friends because they were being foolish." Draco tried to lighten the mood.

"That won't ever happen, Longbottom. Consummate Slytherin right here. We do nothing without considering all the outcomes." Neville grinned, and it seemed to break the melancholy spell that had fallen over the eight of them. They broke apart and went their separate ways, the twins and Neville to go wait with those they were going to be stationed with and the trio to make contact with the adults that were there.

The same scenario played out with the adults, however. Remus and Sirius had both taken Hermione in their arms and held her close, telling her how much they loved her and hoped that they would survive to see her marry their godson. Harry and Draco had received heartfelt handshakes and had received promises to look out for her to the best of their abilities. Kingsley had been next, not hugging any of them, but making sure that they knew that he would be extremely displeased if they didn't survive to see the end of the Dark Lord.

Arthur and Tonks were next, both bestowing hugs upon all three of them, once again making Draco uncomfortable. The same could be said for Professor McGonagall, hugging all three of them together and making them promise to look out for each other and keep each other safe. She reminded Hermione that she had an apprenticeship to look forward to, so she needed to handle this business quickly, so she could get on with her life. Hermione had laughed at her favorite professor and quickly agreed to do her best.

Dumbledore stepped forward to meet the three of them and made sure to cast a silencing charm around them before he spoke. Draco wasn't surprised, he was still convinced that they needed to keep Hermione's true identity a secret.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, I can only hope that this day finds you well. We're all nervous as to what could happen, but I have every hope that we will prevail here today." Draco knew that he wasn't going to be able to be civil if he spoke, so he left it to Harry and Hermione. They were more used to dealing with the old codger anyways. Hermione was the one to field this one.

"We're going to do our absolute best to rake in a win today. It's funny that you should be hoping for a win since the end of this war signifies your last year being Headmaster. I haven't been playing, Headmaster. Once this year is done, you're out or all your secrets are going to be broadcasted in the Daily Prophet." Draco wasn't sure that threatening someone before the biggest battle of their life was a good idea but who was he to criticize. The Headmaster just bowed his head humbly.

"As you wish, Miss Granger. I still wish you the best of luck. Contrary to what you think, I'm not a complete monster." Hermione simply raised a brow in his direction but said nothing. The Headmaster took his hint and moved on.

There was a small table with food set up along one wall and Draco took Hermione by the arm and led her that way. They hadn't eaten much the night before and their amorous activities had burned off the few calories that they had consumed. He could see that Harry agreed that it was a good idea, but Hermione balked.

"If I eat, I'm just going to throw it back up." Draco took her other elbow and started to pull her that way as well.

"If you can't eat, at least drink a nutrient potion and some fluids. You're going to need your strength today." Hermione accepted, not too graciously, but accepted nonetheless. One of the Hogwarts' elves popped in next to them at the table and handed her a vial that consisted of the potion she agreed to take. Both boys filled their plates to the brim with the snacks that the elves had provided, wasting no time in devouring them. It was less than an hour to lunch and they needed to be ready.

-O-

Severus spotted his daughter by the table full of food drinking down a potion of some sort. He was unsure as to why she would be taking a potion, but he intended to find out. He strode her way, well-aware that he was putting some of the students off their meals. When he reached the three of them, he realized that Hermione was now drinking pumpkin juice.

"Why were you taking a potion?" He knew that she could hear the concern in his voice, so he appreciated it when she didn't make him wait for an answer.

"Draco felt that I needed to eat before this fight, but I told him that if I ate I would just throw it back up. He insisted on a nutrient potion and fluids." Severus shot an approving look at his godson and realized that this could be the last time that he spoke to any of the three teens before him. He swung his gaze to Potter first.

"I know that this could be my last day on Earth and I want to leave knowing that you're aware that while I don't particularly like you, I don't hate you. I hated your father. If my daughter chooses you, I'll support her decision. Just know that you better do your absolute best to live today because if you die, she'll be heartbroken, and I'll never forgive you." Potter had the nerve to grin at him before clapping him on the shoulder.

"Same goes for you, sir. Don't die because she'll be heartbroken. I'll make sure I never leave your side when I die if you hurt like that." Severus could help but to groan at the younger man's words. He had walked into that. Without responding, he turned to Draco and offered his hand. His godson took it quickly and gripped him tightly.

"I'm proud of you, Draco, more than you know. Even before you knew the identity of my daughter you threw the chains of your upbringing off, so you could pursue her. I want you to promise me that you and Potter will do your best to keep her safe; she's the light of my life and I can't imagine living without her." Draco gave him a solemn nod.

"I swear to you, sir, I'll do my best to keep her safe, even sacrificing myself for her if I need to. Potter feels the same way." He could see that Hermione's tears watered at Draco's words, but he didn't care. Severus needed to hear confirmation that these two boys would do their best by his daughter. He was entrusting her life to them after all. His daughter was strong, however, and kept her tears at bay, keeping the strong front visible for all to see. Severus nodded at his godson before turning fully to his daughter. She threw herself in his arms and he didn't waste a single moment by hesitating. This could be the last time she was ever in his arms and he didn't want to waste it for a second.

"Are you sure that you've mastered the spell?" His daughter nodded against his chest, the room falling silent when they saw the scene before them. Severus saw Draco wave his wand around them, making sure that nobody else could hear their conversation.

"I know this is hard, sweet, but you are going to pull this off without a hitch. Despite the fact that you come from my loins, you'll be hailed as a hero." Hermione pulled away quickly and shot him a dirty look.

"I'm proud that I come from your loins. I would shout to the world that you are my father if not for this stupid war. I've never been ashamed of being your daughter. I love you, Daddy." Severus felt his heart burst as his arms tightened around her. He kissed the top of her head several times before he finally allowed her to pull back enough to look him in the face.

"I love you too, Hermione. You're my greatest pride and joy." He knew that he couldn't hang around any longer and have any hope of Hermione holding it together. Therefore, he bent one more time and pressed a kiss to her forehead before leaving just as abruptly as he arrived.

Severus slunk off to a dark corner in the room, watching Potter and Draco comfort his daughter after he left. He could only hope that they held true to their words and did everything they could to keep her safe. He wasn't sure that he could handle living with the knowledge that she was dead. After discovering that his daughter was still very much alive, Severus had no intentions of dying today unless he had no other option.

The Slytherin watched the tearful goodbyes going on around him. He was sure that if he ventured out in the open Minerva, Black and the wolf would pin him down, tell him he wasn't allowed to die, and then wish him luck. He wanted none of this, however. He simply wanted to play his part in this fucking disaster, bring down a dark lord, and watch his daughter grow up.

Albus stepped forward and called for their attention. Severus could tell that he wasn't happy although he wasn't quite sure as the reason why. It was hard telling. Everyone seemed to jump to attention when he called for them, obviously looking to him as their leader. Severus could only snort at their naivety. It was quite clear to the main players in this game that his daughter was in control and had been for months.

"It's time. Those that are slotted to be in the Great Hall when this begins, please head that way and make it as natural as possible. Do not act prematurely. There will be no curses thrown until the Dark Lord has called for the Ministry. No matter what you see out there, it's all a figment of your imagination."

Severus watched as twelve students headed for the door, his daughter and her two mates included. He could tell by the stiff set of her shoulders that she was nervous. He wanted to relieve her of this burden with all his might but there was just no way. Once the students were gone, Dumbledore followed suit, followed by Filius and Minerva. After several more minutes, Severus stepped forward to follow them.

He took his usual seat in the Great Hall, scanning the crowd to make sure that they weren't going to give them away. Though quiet, they were all focused on their food though none of them seemed to be eating. Dumbledore was conversing good-naturedly with Minerva and Pomona when his daughter rose to her feet. In this moment, the war was going to come to an end, whichever way the win went.

Severus watched her stride purposefully to the Head Table, her shoulders back and her chin held high. He could see the disbelieving looks on her school mate's faces, they had already been made aware that there would be someone faking an attempt on the Headmaster's life. The fact that they never suspected goody-goody Hermione Granger was beside the point. Once she got closer, he heard her sweet voice.

"Headmaster, may I approach? I need a word with you." The Headmaster nodded graciously.

"Of course, Miss Granger, anything you need." He stood and started for the end of the High Table. Severus was proud to see that Hermione waited for him to round the table before she struck. It was clear that she wanted all the Great Hall to witness her crime. The green curse left her wand before anyone could even look sideways at her. It struck the Headmaster in the chest and it was clear that she had cast it correctly. Albus fell to the ground, a lifeless look in his eyes, that made the whole of the Great Hall go mad.

Curses shot from everywhere; it was clear that the Headmaster's words weren't being remembered at this point in the game. They all believed that he was truly dead. Severus was quick to cast his shield around his daughter and protect her to the best of his abilities. Potter and Draco were quick to come to her rescue, casting the strongest shields they were capable of until she had turned back to the world and readied herself.

Severus knew that this was his time to act and he wasted no time. He pressed his wand to the Dark Mark on his left arm, willing his father and master to come to him. He had felt the wards lower just moments before the Headmaster had stood from his seat at the High Table, so he knew that his father and his followers would arrive with little to no problems. Draco rose to his feet and hurried to the door of the Great Hall, ready to fling it wide open when the Dark Lord arrived. After only a moment, he felt the all-too-familiar burn on his arm, signaling that they Dark Lord was calling all his followers to follow him to battle.

There were several minutes where the Hall was silent and at a stand-still. Minerva and Remus now had shields cast around Hermione, making it clear that no matter what had really happened, they were going to follow her to the end. The students appeared sickened and outraged, exactly what they needed to portray once the Dark Lord arrived. There were several shouts from Weasley and Brown diminishing his daughter's character but other than that the room was silent.

Suddenly, the door to the Great Hall flung open and the Dark Lord strode in, all his Death Eaters following him. Draco held the door, his face impassive as they all moved to line the walls of the Great Hall. Severus knew that this was the moment that was going to make or break them, and he could only hope that it made them.

-O-

Hermione was scared to death. She had just cast the curse on the Headmaster and she couldn't help but think that it had been a fake that her father had told her about. The Headmaster appeared as dead as they came.

The curses from her fellow classmates weren't really a surprise. The ones from Professor Vector and Professor Babbling hurt just a little but she supposed that she couldn't blame them. They had no idea that they were being thrust into a battle today, let alone that she was going to fake the death of their esteemed Headmaster. The room had fallen silent while her father had summoned the Dark Lord. When the door flung open to reveal her grandfather in all his glory, Hermione couldn't help but worry.

Justin-Finch-Fletchley stood and cast another curse at Hermione as the Dark Lord passed, clearly upset that she as at the heart of this conspiracy. Once her grandfather saw what he had done, he whipped his wand around and the green curse left his wand before anyone could even think of dodging out of the way. Justin fell the ground, dead, and those around him gasped in surprise. Hermione couldn't be surprised that Ron was the next to step forward.

"You snake bastard, how dare you kill Justin because Hermione was a traitor to our side. She deserves to die slowly and painfully." Hermione couldn't even grasp just why the redhead was as fucking stupid as he was. Lavender was pulling at his arm and trying to quiet him, but it was having no effect. Her grandfather turned his attention to the redhead and his blond girlfriend.

"It seemsss that none of my Slytherinsss were able to complete the hit I ordered on you after you attacked my granddaughter. From the way the blond ssslag is hanging off your arm, I think more than jussst death is warranted. A lesson, perhapsss?" He flicked his hand towards his ranks, the hundreds filing into the Great Hall behind him. It was Viktor that stepped forward and took Lavender by the wrist. He jerked her away from Ron while Rodolphus stepped forward and wrapped an arm around the redhead's throat.

Viktor threw the blond on the table next to Ron and vanished her clothes before ramming his cock home inside her. It was clear that he was enjoying himself which in turn made Hermione want to vomit. Ron was screaming at Viktor for hurting Lavender and the blond was thrashing on the table in front of all their peers, trying to throw the Bulgarian off her. Hermione couldn't believe that she had to witness this but there was literally nothing she could do until her grandfather had amused himself and made his way up to check on the Headmaster.

When it was clear that Viktor had finished with Lavender, he pulled his wand, pressed it to her chest, and cast the killing curse. Her eyes went lifeless in front of the whole of the Great Hall and Hermione was barely able to keep from bawling. No, she didn't like Lavender at all but that didn't mean that she wanted her to be raped and murdered on a table in the Great Hall in front of everyone. Ron was now screaming at Hermione that it was all her fault. Rodolphus leaned down and spoke in his ear but it was clear to those around him.

"This was your fault. We didn't want to harm any students in this take over, but your mouth and previous actions have slotted you for death. Your girlfriend paid the price for you. Now you'll just suffer life knowing that her death is on your hands." With that, his wand came down and Ron's entire right arm was severed, the loose limb laying there on the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall. Those around him screamed but remained in their seats, clearly terrified of whatever punishment they would receive.

While Hermione had dreamed of punishing Ron, she felt that this was too far. Death would have been kinder, especially when Lestrange lit the limb on fire, making sure that it could never be reattached. After taking Ron's head and slamming it into the table as hard as he could, he stepped away and let Ron fall to the ground. Her grandfather finally turned his attention to her, striding forward to kiss her forehead.

"Let me check your ssspell work, sssweetling." She nodded before she watched him go to Dumbledore's "body" and check for a pulse. When he found none, he turned to his followers with a triumphant yell.

"The old fool is dead. My granddaughter hasss fulfilled her word and killed Albusss Dumbledore." Cheers went up all around the room while her grandfather made it back to her side. He cupped her cheeks in his hands and gave her a snaky grin.

"You have done your bloodline proud, sssweetling. Now that Harry Potter is on the sssame ssside as I am, you have defeated my greatessst enemy. You are a tribute to Sssalazar Ssslytherin." As much as it sickened her, she had a part to play. She laid her hand over her grandfather's cupping her cheek and smiled at him.

"Anything to keep my mates safe and aid my father and grandfather." It was in this moment that Voldemort seemed to remember that they had a plan. He motioned for Severus to come forward. There was a slight bow before he stood there waiting for his orders.

"I am officially appointing you Headmassster of Hogwartsss. I trust that you'll have the proper ideasss for teaching the young mindsss of our world." Her father bowed slightly again.

"I'm most grateful for your appointment, my lord." Her grandfather bowed back to him before speaking.

"Are you going to call the aurorsss or will ssshe?" He gestured at McGonagall and Hermione wasn't sure what they were going to do. However, she witnessed her favorite professor fall to her knees before the Dark Lord, head bowed.

"Allow me, my lord. Albus Dumbledore did nothing but lie to us. My loyalty isn't to you or him but Hermione. She's like the daughter I never had. I hope that she one day follows in my footsteps." It was clear that this wasn't part of the plan, but it was working like a charm on her grandfather. He bought it hook, line, and sinker.

"Ssshe is quite extraordinary, isn't ssshe? I hear that her ssskill in your sssubject even sssurpasses your own." Professor McGonagall nodded.

"It will take her only a year to surpass me in skill. Please, allow me to summon the aurors." Her grandfather narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why would you turn on the man who hasss held your affection for yearsss?" There was a slight red tinge to her cheeks as she answered.

"I never expected him to be as deceitful as you. He lied to me about several things, hid several important things from me, and bound the magic of a child for his own good. I could no longer trust him. That child standing before you deserves more loyalty than he does." The Dark Lord appeared pleased at her words, so he motioned for her to continue.

"Sssend your messssage." Hermione didn't pay attention as Professor McGonagall cast her patronus and publicly sent a message to the Ministry, begging for help because the Dark Lord had come and was killing students. Since there were two dead students, that wasn't exactly a lie. Once the silvery cat vanished, her grandfather turned to speak to the room.

"You will all be ssshown leniency if you sssubmit now. Your Transfiguration professssor has already ssshown her intelligence and made sssure to align herself with the right side." It was clear that nobody was willing to be the next Ron of the bunch and they all kept their silence.

Within the next minute, there were pops all over the Great Hall and that was when all hell broke loose.

The attack on her grandfather's followers began, Order members and other students bursting through the doors of the Great Hall. Aurors were popping into existence all around and Hermione could tell that there were several that had popped right in front of a deadly curse. As much as it broke her heart, this wasn't what she was there to do.

Draco drew Gryffindor's sword from his belt and started for the front of the room where Nagini was waiting patiently, probably wanting someone to feed her one of the bodies. She instantly knew that Draco was after her. Even though Hermione was poised to jump in and distract the great snake, Harry took the burden from her. He rushed forward and hissed in parselmouth.

"You will not hurt him." Nagini hissed at him in return.

"He wantsss to hurt me. It is not my way to allow the pointlessss ssslaughter of my kind." Harry help his wand aloft at the snake, trying to not pay attention to those around him that were fighting Death Eaters.

"We have to kill you. Your master put a piece of his soul inside you, that's why he can control you as he can. We have to kill it which means we have to kill you." The snake fell silent before it turned to Hermione and hissed at her.

"Thisss isss true?" Hermione couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes.

"Yes, it's true. If we defeat him here today, he will kill you to reach the piece of his soul that he stored in you. I'm so sorry." The snake stopped fighting at once before turning to Hermione.

"I will allow you to kill me and end thisss abomination if you promissse to adopt a sssnake sssuch as me. I want to die knowing that my mistressss will love another." Hermione couldn't keep her eyes from watering at the snake's word.

"You have my word." Nagini went motionless before turning to Draco. The Slytherin knew that this was his moment and brought the sword down with all his might. When Nagini's head lay severed from her body, her grandfather hollered loudly, falling to his knees. Hermione couldn't take her eyes off him, knowing that when he rose he was going to attack her. He was well and truly mortal now and that thought was going to terrify him.

This wasn't what happened, however. The Death Eaters around them were dueling violently with anyone around them. The swamp that the twins had set up in the middle of the Great Hall had a good dozen Death Eaters stuck in it and relieved of their wands. Those she considered to be her friends and family were fighting for lives right alongside her. This still couldn't prepare her for what happened next.

Voldemort, her grandfather, a man who called her his treasure, turned and saw the level of her betrayal and acted in the only way that she could expect him to. His wand came up and send a green curse her way, a killing curse. She was fully prepared to let it hit her, to know that she had died for the cause. This wasn't meant to be, however, since Harry stepped in front of her at the last moment. The green light of the curse hit her beloved right in the chest and he fell to the ground before her eyes.

An inhuman scream left her throat, turning the attention of the whole Hall her way. Draco was just as anguished as she was but managed to not scream. Hermione stepped forward and began flinging every curse she could think of at her grandfather, eager to make him pay for killing her beloved. Those around her just stopped to watch her, eager to see which way the duel went.

-O-

Albus saw his opening the second he saw Harry hit the ground. He really thought that Harry had been the key to everything, the key to winning the war. The fact that he had just forfeited his life to protect Miss Granger was his own stupidity. With a deep breath for confidence, he stood from the ground and stepped in front of the curses meant for Miss Granger.

"You are done attacking children. If you want a fair fight, fight me." Tom laughed audibly, the whole of the Great Hall listening. He could see Hermione and Draco now bending over Harry's still form but he knew there was no hope. The Savior of the wizarding world was dead because he had been trying to save his girlfriend. This meant that Albus was going to have to step up. The Dark Lord seemed thrilled that he was meeting his nemesis in a fight.

"I'm happy to sssee that my granddaughter had the audacity to betray me. Now I will have the bessst of times ssshowing everyone what happens when they make a fool of me." Even though Albus didn't care what he did to the Gryffindor prefect, he knew that this statement was going to get to his followers. He couldn't allow it without retribution.

-O-

The wand fight between the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore was unbelievable. He could still see Hermione and Draco bent over the body of Potter, their hands on his chest as they cried over his still form. He wasn't sure what this was accomplishing now but who was he to speak?

The crowds were already despairing, seeing that the man of their saving prophecy was laying dead on the ground from saving his girlfriend. He couldn't expect the world to keep his secret, so he was considering just how to extract himself from the situation when he saw Dumbledore step forward. The pair exchanged words, but they were too far away for Lucius to hear what was said.

The battle of the wands was fast and furious, those that were standing around to watch stepping back behind a ward cast by someone. Lucius was quite sure that while his cover was most certainly in the clear, that he would suffer no ill effects from his lord winning, his son would surely die, Yes, Miss Granger would do her best to keep that from happening but there was a chance that anything could happen. This made his breath quicken since he had promised his wife that he would do anything at all possible to keep his son alive. After the years of torment that he had put her through it was the only promise that he could make to make her feel better.

He watched for several minutes as the Headmaster fought against his lord, hoping against hope that the ancient wizard won. This wasn't meant to be, however. The wizened wizard had jigged left, hoping to dodge whatever curse his lord had sent his way, but tripped over his own bloody ostentatious robes. Lucius was sure that the almighty Dumbledore would suffer the embarrassment of losing to the Dark Lord over tripping when instead his master cast the Cruciatus curse.

The Headmaster's screams echoed through the Great Hall. The old man writhed on the floor before them all, losing any credibility he had due to the thrashing he was doing on the floor before their feet. Hermione and Draco were still focused on Harry on the floor, so he wasn't surprised when they didn't see what happened next.

The Dark Lord didn't wait to see what Dumbledore had to offer next. Once he released the torture curse before the rest of the Hall, he raised his wand at the fallen wizard, a familiar green curse leaving his wand and slamming into the great Albus Dumbledore. There were screams and shouts from all over the Great Hall but none of them could drown out the screams of anguish.

Lucius could only stand back and wonder just what the fuck was going to happen next. Potter, the one who was prophesied to kill the Dark Lord, and Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard in the world were dead. There were no hopes to win the war except for his son and Hermione. Neither one of them seemed to be in any position to commit homicide.

The war was lost, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to be anywhere near the end of it. All Lucius wanted was to get his son and daughter-in-law out of the line of fire and make their way in another world.

The Dark Lord need never know.

A/N- Another chapter down, baby. This chapter was pretty action filled so I hope that you find my portrayal fulfilling. As for the cliffhanger, sorry, not sorry. Lol. Thanks to everyone for reading. Leave me a message after the beep, reviews make me so happy.

Next up, the final battle comes to an end.

Love,

Alicia


	46. Chapter 46

A/N-Happy Memorial Day to those of us in America! I did all my partying last night so you get your chapter today. The second part to the Battle of Hogwarts has arrived! I didn't make y'all wait too long since I know exactly what it feels like to have to wait for the next installment after a cliffhanger. It blows is putting it nicely. I know I thank y'all every single chapter for reading and reviewing but I can't tell you how much your support means me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Anyways, I know you're far more excited to read the next installment than hear me ramble, ha-ha.

Trigger warning: Violence, torture, and death.

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own a thing except for my own personal plot twist. Every trope of this story has been done more than once.

Chapter 46

April 21, 1996

Harry came awake on the dingy floor of King's Cross station, though the station was empty. The Hogwarts' Express was nowhere in sight, so it was clear that he was on the muggle side of things. He realized that he was naked, his clothes nowhere in sight. When he realized that his wand was still in his hand, he waved it and conjured a robe, thankful that Hermione had taught him how to conjure things in Transfiguration class.

He had just swung the robe around him, hiding his nakedness, when he spied two forms making their way towards him. Harry readied his wand, wanting to make sure that he wouldn't be caught unawares. As the figures drew closer, Harry couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. His mother and father were getting closer and they both had wide smiles on their faces.

Harry didn't hesitate; he rushed both of them and threw his arms around them, holding them close. They clutched him just as tightly and they held each other close for several minutes before Harry finally pulled away. His smile was wide as he just gazed at them, unable to believe that they were there. His mother ran her fingers through his hair repeatedly while his father beamed with pride. Harry finally broke the silence, unable to remain quiet when he wanted answers.

"How are you two here? How did I get here?" They both smiled softly at him before Lily answered him.

"We didn't come to you. You came to us." Harry took a moment to ponder her statement.

"Does this mean I'm dead?" His mother's eyes were sad so when she clutched his hand tightly he expected the worst. It was his father that answered.

"You aren't fully dead, otherwise you would have come straight to the other side where we are. This is a limbo of sorts. We were able to visit because you're our son and at the moment you're more dead than alive. Don't you remember how you got here?" Harry narrowed his eyes in deep thought, contemplating his father's words. Did he remember? He couldn't recall anything, not anything from the moment before he had woken on the ground. Where were his friends? Where was Hermione and Draco? Had they won the fight against Voldemort?

In that moment, everything flooded back to him.

Draco killing the snake after Hermione promised to get a familiar like Nagini. Her grandfather looking as enraged as he had ever seen and casting the familiar green curse at his own flesh and blood. Harry knowing that Hermione was going to let the curse land and himself stepping in front of it at the last moment. The last feeling, he had had was hitting the hard stone floor, excruciating pain in his chest where the curse had landed. When he met his parent's gaze again, his features were frenzied.

"Did she die? Please tell me that Hermione is still alive." His mother gave him a soft smile before running her hand over his cheek.

"She's still alive son, in fact, she's trying to bring you back with young Draco as we speak. It's your choice if you return to them, to her, or go over to the other side with us." Harry wanted to scream at the unfairness of it. He had wanted to see his parents, speak with them, since he was a toddler. To have it come at the cost of leaving Hermione and Draco forever was something that he just wasn't equipped to handle. A strangled sound erupted from his throat and a few tears leaked out. His father took pity on him.

"We won't be mad if you go back, son. You've made us so proud and you've earned the happiness you have with those two. If you wish to return, we would be thrilled." He turned his eyes to James Potter, his namesake.

"How can you say that? I've missed you so much through the years and to know that you could lose me all over again has to be heart wrenching." His mother smiled at his sorrow.

"Harry, you are our pride and joy. The only thing that we've ever wanted for you was to live and be happy. Why do you think we cast ourselves in front of Tom Riddle? We wanted you to live and have a chance at life. That we wouldn't be there to witness it firsthand was inconsequential. You did the same thing for Hermione; you would do the same thing for any children that came from that girl, be it your child or Draco's. It's what you do for someone you love. If you chose to continue doing what we always wanted for you, how could we be sad or disappointed?"

Harry had never considered things that way. He had known since he was eleven years old that his mother had willingly cast herself in front of the killing curse meant for him. His father had done his best to hold the Dark Lord off, so his wife and son could make an escape. The last thing that he wanted to do was make their sacrifices be in vain.

"Are you sure that you won't be disappointed in me?" His mother chuckled at him.

"We would never be disappointed in you, sweetheart. We have watched every single part of your life since we've been gone, and we have nothing but pride for the person you've become. If you wish to return to your love and your best friend, do it without a single regret." Harry nodded but didn't speak. James laid a hand on his shoulder, however, before speaking.

"I know that many won't believe that you've spoken with us, but I would still like you to pass on some words if you could. Would you agree to that?" Harry met his father's gaze, much like his but hazel in color. His eyes reminded him of Hermione's before her glamour had been lifted.

"Absolutely." James grinned at him.

"Tell Remus and Sirius to stop blaming themselves for our deaths. They've both paid a hefty price for their mistrust and it needs to stop now. We never wanted them to blame themselves for our decisions." His father heaved a deep breath before continuing.

"I also want you to tell Severus that I'm sorry for all the hell that I put him through. I was terrible to him and I regret it more than anything. I know he's forgiven Sirius and Remus but I'm not able to apologize like they have. Could you please tell him how much I regret how I treated him?" Harry couldn't help the smile that graced his features. He had known that his father had treated Snape terribly, Sirius had made sure to tell him that, but the fact that he regretted being a bully made Harry feel better about his father. He nodded happily.

"I'll pass on every single word, I swear it." His father beamed at him before his mother stepped forward.

"Tell Severus that I want him to move on, to let me go. I know that he spied for Dumbledore because of Hermione, but he also hasn't had a single serious relationship since then. Tell him that I want him to move on and find someone new, someone that will love him as I never could, that will love him as he deserves. Also, tell Hermione to take care of you. You're your father's son and you always think that you don't need taken care of, but you do. I'd like for her to take over that job for me." Harry could feel the tears pricking his eyes, but he held them back ruthlessly. He would be damned if he returned to the land of the living bawling his eyes out.

"I'll pass on both your messages. I hope you both know how much I love you and wish that things had turned out differently for us." Both his mother and his father came forward to wrap their arms around him once more.

"We know, son. We love you more than life itself. You must go now, before your chance to go back is gone. Always live life to the fullest and always do what makes you happy." There were several tears that slipped down his cheeks at their words.

"I swear it." As if the magic surrounding them sensed that he had made a decision, his world faded to black around him and King's Cross was no more.

-O-

Hermione was outraged, downright wrathful. Her grandfather had sent a killing curse her way and her idiot boyfriend had stepped in front of it at the last moment, falling dead at her feet. The cry of sorrow that left her lips when she realized what had happened was unlike anything that she had ever heard. The only thing that kept her from dropping to her knees at Harry's body was the fact that her grandfather needed to die. Slowly and painfully if she had anything to do with it.

The curses that she was sending his way were unreserved, her power unchecked. She wanted him to feel her wrath and she wanted him to feel fear. The only thing that stopped her from killing him outright as she wished was the fact that Albus fucking Dumbledore stepped between them and spouted rot about not fighting children anymore.

Once she realized that the wizened wizard was going to take on her grandfather, Hermione spun around to find Draco still kneeling at Harry's side. Tears ran unbidden down his cheeks, but he wasn't sobbing. Hermione refused to let it end like this, without trying. Therefore, when she knelt beside Harry on the side opposite of Draco, she reached out and tugged her other mate's hands over his chest with hers.

"We have to heal him. We have to try." Draco understood instantly and began pouring his magic into his hands, letting it swirl and intertwine with Hermione's. She could feel the downright desperate feel to it, but she could cast no judgement. She knew hers felt the same.

Hermione was unsure how long they shared magic and funneled it into Harry. The sounds of the battle around them filtered through their minds but they paid them no mind. The only thing that warranted any thought whatsoever was the fact that Hermione could feel Harry's magic stirring under the ministrations of herself and Draco.

Out of nowhere, Hermione felt a surge in Harry's magic, signaling that only one thing was possible. He was most assuredly not dead. Dead bodies didn't have magic, let alone rising levels. She waited and let her magic feel just how strong his magic felt, taking her time to make sure they she had Draco had fed enough of their strength and magic into Harry to make sure that he would live. When she was certain that they had done all they could, she lifted her hands from Harry's chest only to notice that Draco looked exhausted. Come to think of it, she felt exhausted too.

Hermione waited with bated breath as Draco reached out and felt for the pulse of their mate. He let loose a whoop of joy and shot her a wide smile, something that was usually out of place on Draco's face. He usually smirked.

"We did it, Princess, this lucky bastard is alive. He probably won't wake to help us but he's fucking alive." Hermione leaned over Harry's body to catch Draco's lips in a kiss before bending and pressing one to Harry's. When she looked up to meet Draco's gaze, he gave her a nod. She took this to mean that he was onboard and would be with her until the end.

"Let's end this. That fucking monster is going down." Draco nodded at her words before stepping away from Harry. The Slytherin reached out and took hold of Terry Boot's shoulder, dragging him towards them.

"Hermione and I have to end this. Harry is alive, no questions, but he isn't awake. I want you to stand here and make sure that no stray curses hit him." Terry looked like he didn't believe it but nodded anyways. Hermione and Draco both stood and turned to survey the room at large.

It was complete bedlam.

Remus and Sirius were dueling Peter Pettigrew, McGonagall was taking on Rabastan Lestrange, and Severus was trying to overthrow Jugson, Rowle, and Nott. People from both sides littered the floor, some injured but most dead. It was a heart-breaking sight, but Hermione had to ignore the emotions that welled up inside her. Just as they started forward, a hand reached out and jerked them both backwards. Hermione turned and was surprised to see Lucius.

"We have to go now. I can't lose the pair of you. I would rather run for the rest of my life than see the Dark Lord end the pair of you." Hermione knew that his heart was in the right place, but she had no time for this. She gave him a soft smile before she rose to her tip toes and kissed his cheek.

"I know you mean well but I can't go with you. Harry is alive and I'm going to end this today. Nobody hurts my mates and that snake-faced bastard is going to pay for it." Draco was nodding next to her. Lucius looked incredulous.

"How can that be? We all saw him fall to the AK." Hermione gestured for the older Slytherin to check for himself.

"Draco and I brought him back. We're ending this now." After feeling for a pulse, Lucius looked up at them completely in awe before it turned to determination.

"Don't worry, I'll let no harm come to him." She gave him a grateful nod.

Hermione took off, Draco at her side, to find her grandfather. Dumbledore was laying on the floor where they had been dueling, obviously dead from the glassy look of his wide-open eyes. Hermione couldn't find any sorrow in herself for his death. He had manipulated far too many people in his lifetime.

Hermione finally spotted her grandfather dueling three people at once, her father, Professor McGonagall, and Moody. Even though it was three on one, her grandfather was still making them play defensive rather than offensive. The Gryffindor knew that this was going to be their one chance to end it all. She headed for the four of them, Draco right beside her, until they were just outside of firing range.

"I'm calling you out, Tom Riddle. As your granddaughter and your heir, I'm calling you to a duel to the death." All casting in the Great Hall came to a stop, everyone turning to watch what played out next. McGonagall, Moody, and her father all stopped and stepped back, though Hermione could tell that her father wanted nothing more than scream at her to retreat. Her grandfather stepped forward, wand held aloft, and sneered her way.

"I already killed Harry Potter, sssweetling. Do you think you can ssstop me from killing young Malfoy asss well? I would love to sssee you try to ssstop me. Don't worry though, I won't be killing you. I intend to keep you for my very own, locked up to where I know that you can never essscape. I'll find a proper pureblood to come breed you and then I'll mold your ssson to my liking." Hermione could see her father fuming and she could hear Draco audibly growling at his words. Before anyone could say anything, the Dark Lord laughed.

"Don't worry, your father won't be needed in the new regime either." Quick as a snitch, a curse escaped her grandfather's wand and hit her father square in the abdomen, opening him wide. Hermione could do nothing but watch Moody and McGonagall bend at his side to help him. Once her grandfather was again focused on her, he grinned his snake-grin her way.

"Don't worry, I won't grant young Malfoy a quick death like Potter received." Hermione was done listening to him. There was no way that she was letting him get anywhere near Draco and she was never going to let him touch her father again. She stepped forward, signaling Draco to stay back but stay close so she could draw off his power if she needed to. Her grandfather now laughed.

"You just sssaw me beating three fully qualified witchesss and wizardsss and you want to take me on by yourself? By all meansss."

Hermione had no plans of letting her grandfather goad her into acting without thought. She wasn't going to let anger rule her actions, only well thought out plans. Draco didn't appear to be happy that she was taking on the Dark Lord by herself but there wasn't much that he could do about it at this point.

The pair began to circle each other, neither wanting to be the first one to cast a spell at the other. Hermione knew that she could very well die in this duel; her grandfather wouldn't try to kill her, but it was clear that she had much more to lose in this fight than her life. Even though her grandfather talked big, she could see a tiny hint of fear in his gaze. Without the tiniest bit of warning, she struck.

Her blasting curse hit a shield, she was the first to admit that her grandfather had faster reflexes than she did. However, he couldn't match her for power. His shield flickered out of existence at the landing of her curse and Hermione gave him a feral grin. The fear in his eyes grew but he was quick to shutter his gaze, hiding all his emotions.

They danced back and forth for who knew how long; Hermione didn't. He would land curse after curse on her shield but could never break through. Her grandfather would always have a shield in place by the time she caught up to him enough to land a curse. Hermione was focused on nothing aside from their duel until two people stepped up next to her.

The Gryffindor's shield faltered when she realized that Harry and Draco were now beside her, both alive and well and truly pissed off. Hermione felt several tears slide down her cheeks at the sight of Harry on his feet once more, but she didn't let them deter her from their final mission. Defeating her grandfather would guarantee them a long and happy life where they would no longer be harassed for their birth or their blood statues.

While the magic between Hermione and Draco had been strong, throwing Harry into the mix had sent their levels off the charts. Hermione could tell that the whole of the Great Hall was staring in disbelief as the Gryffindor boy stepped beside Hermione and spoke.

"Enough fucking around. Let's end this so I can take a nap. My fucking chest hurts." Hermione couldn't help the gurgle of laughter at his words that rose up in her throat. Her grandfather scoffed openly before attacking once more.

Hermione could admit that she, Draco, and Harry were the perfect team. Where she had the power, they had the speed and reflexes that would keep any opponent on their toes. The duel was fast and furious, no words being called out to signify curses, but it was clear that they were all lethal. Spell fire lit up the whole of the Great Hall from their duel and Hermione was eager to end it as soon as she could.

Hermione got her wish when Draco landed a curse on her grandfather, a cutting curse that cut deep into the meat of his leg. It wasn't powerful enough to sever his leg, but it was bad enough to take his attention from the duel for a mere moment. Hermione saw this as her moment to act. A powerful blasting curse left her wand, slamming into the shield that her grandfather had erected around himself. It was obliterated, throwing the Dark Lord several feet back, landing him on his arse. Hermione didn't care; she stepped forward to follow him, not caring that his wand was on the floor several feet from where he lay.

An obscure pain curse left her wand, one that she had read about in one of the restricted section books last year, which left her grandfather screaming in agony. Hermione thought that she must have turned dark because in that moment she didn't care. The whole Great Hall was silent as they listened the screams of the man who had inspired so much fear in their world. When Hermione finally lifted the curse, she stepped close enough so that when she spoke, her grandfather would have no problems hearing her.

"Nobody touches my mates, and nobody touches my father. Here you lie, before Merlin and everybody, screaming on the ground because you were bested by three teens. Just know that while you deserve so much more suffering than what you've received, know that your heirs will curse your name. Nobody will revere Salazar Slytherin after what you've done here today." With a quick spell shot at the wand laying on the ground next to him, it incinerated into ash and smoke. Her grandfather choked out a response.

"You may kill me today, but I'll return and when I do, you won't even be counted asss the lowliest whore on my lowessst-level Death Eater's essstate." Hermione openly laughed at him.

"You won't be returning, grandfather. We've killed all your horcruxes, every single last one. Once you're gone, you're dead." His face turned even more ashen than usual. Hermione bent closer, so she could push every memory of destroying his horcruxes into his mind. After he had viewed them all, he gasped. Just to top things off, Hermione shoved herself into his mind, burrowing through his shields like she had done to her father and Albus Dumbledore.

The things she saw there amazed her.

Every bribe he had paid since he had first come to power. Every life he had taken. Every person that he had tortured. Every single last person that had turn-coated on the side of light. What made her smile was the fact that she had also come across a potion that would cure a person of the effects of a Cruciatus curse. She was sure that Neville would have plenty use for a potion such as that. Once she had taken everything from him that he had to give, Hermione retreated from his mind.

She turned to Harry with a smile.

"Would you like to finish this, or shall I? It's supposed to be your destiny after all." Hermione didn't have to ask to know what her mate was going to choose. He wouldn't want her to have killing her own grandfather on her conscience. Harry stepped forward, extended his wand, and for the first time that day, spoke his spell.

"Avada Kedavra."

A jet of green light left Harry's wand and hit her grandfather in the chest, much the same as his curse had hit Harry. Tom Riddle fell to the ground in a heap and the cheers heard throughout the Hall were thunderous.

Hermione rushed Harry, throwing herself in his arms, Draco right behind her. There were tears running down her cheeks, but she didn't care if the whole world saw them. They were all still alive, her grandfather was dead, and all the Death Eaters were gathered in the Great Hall for the rest of them to take down.

As soon as Hermione pulled herself from Harry's arms, pressing a kiss to his lips before doing so, she turned to make her way over to her father, more than happy to lend her hand at trying to heal him. His eyes were full of joy as she dropped to her knees before him, hand laying directly on his wound. His hand tangled in her hair, forcing her to look at him.

"I've never been prouder of you in my life." She knew that her grin was blinding but she didn't care. What she cared about was healing her father. Even though she couldn't employ the healing method that she and Draco had used on Harry, she was still able to lay her hand on her father's deep abdominal wound and focus her magic on healing the cut, hoping that later potions could heal the damage to what lay beneath.

The Great Hall was once again caught up in battle, the Death Eaters now frantic to escape. The fact that their master was now dead just meant that they were far more ruthless to make sure that they were able to escape unharmed. Thoros Nott fell to Lucius, Pettigrew died at the hands of Sirius, Greyback expired by the hands of Remus, Rabastan fell to Neville. The list went on and on and Hermione was glad that the Room was finally quieting.

Hermione had just stood, pulled to her feet by Draco and Harry, hauled into a hug that had them all laughing and crying. She wasn't focused on anything else and that was her mistake. She wasn't aware that Rodolphus had hidden behind the High Table and crept out once the excitement had died down. With a quick shout, a green curse left his wand.

Hermione had no warning as to what was coming. She had no idea that in her moment of triumph, it would be taken away. The only thing she was aware of was the blinding pain in her back, the angry shouts around her, and her body slamming into the stone floor beneath her.

-O-

Severus could hardly believe that it was over. There was no world that existed where he would be free from both his masters. The fact that his daughter had made this all possible was beyond imagining.

Watching her torture the Dark Lord had done something to him and he wasn't sure that it was good. She had been forced to grow up far too quickly, use spells that should never see the light of day at Hogwarts, but he still couldn't quite feel bad. The fact remained that his father had deserved it and much more. He doubted that anyone at the Ministry would say a word about his underage daughter casting a torture curse, even if it wasn't the Cruciatus.

His daughter had knelt at his side after hugging her mates, laying her hands on the split wound on his belly. His innards were on the verge of falling out of him, the cut was so deep. McGonagall and Moody had done their best to help him but anything short of a healer just wasn't going to be enough. His daughter healed the initial wound, even though he was sure that she had done nothing for the internal damage. At least this way, he didn't have to worry about bleeding to death or spilling his guts on the floor at his feet.

Severus had just struggled to his feet, with the help on Minerva no less, when the fighting commenced in the Great Hall. He watched as those around him continued in their battles, determined to bring the remaining Death Eaters to justice. However, he turned his head just in time to see Rodolphus Lestrange creep out from behind the High Table and cast the familiar green jet of light that signified the killing curse at his daughter. Her body was turned so it hit her squarely in the back.

To say she dropped like a rock would have been an understatement.

Watching his daughter fall to the wand of scum like Rodolphus Lestrange did something to him. Where Severus had always been calm and controlled, he lost what little control he had and let his world color red. His wand appeared in his hand once more and Severus threw himself into the fight.

Rodolphus knew that it was coming, he had been completely prepared it seemed. The battle that erupted from their duel was eye-catching and awe-inspiring. Both were quick with a wand, but Severus had more power available to him. He had always known that he was one of the more powerful Death Eaters to serve under his father, he had just never understood that it had to do with his paternity. Now, none of it mattered except making Rodolphus pay for taking the life of his precious daughter.

Within only a couple curses, Severus had felled Rodolphus, stripping him of his wand. This didn't matter to Severus at all; his wand still managed to incur all sorts of horrid curses on the Death Eater. His screams reverberated off the stone walls and Severus didn't even try to mask them; he wanted everyone to know what happened to people that harmed his daughter and if it landed him in prison, even better. At least then his memories would be sucked away by the dementors, not there for him to relive over and over again.

The screams continued for what seemed like hours. All the skin was flayed from Rodolphus' body before the man went quiet. Severus was sure that he had killed the man until he saw the slightest movement of his chest. Not caring that there were children present, he cast his strongest blasting curse at the Death Eater's head, exploding it like it was nothing more than a watermelon. Brain matter and blood spattered everywhere, all over everyone in a close range, but Severus didn't care.

The man who had taken his baby girl from him had paid for that act with his pain and his life.

-O-

Draco was unsure as to what exactly had happened when Hermione went limp in their arms and hit the stone floor beneath them. Her eyes were wide open and lifeless, the love and light he adored gone forever.

The Slytherin saw Severus lose his composure, despite being injured, and start in the direction behind them. In that moment, Draco realized what had happened. Rodolphus Lestrange had a very satisfied smirk on his face at the sight of his mate dead on the ground. Harry seemed to realize this at the same time that Draco did and started off in the direction of the Death Eater. However, their movements were brought to a halt when they realized that Severus was advancing on the man with his wand drawn. Draco grabbed at Harry's arm.

"We have to bring her back like we did you."

Draco knelt next to Hermione, pushing her onto her back so he and Harry could join hands on her chest. The fact that it wasn't raising underneath their grip scared the life out of him.

Draco poured every last bit of magic he had into their bond. Harry poured his magic in as well, but he was still weakened from his own bout with death. Therefore, Draco compensated as best he could, putting everything but his life force forward to help revive his beloved. He and Harry were both well-aware that while the three of them worked now, it would never work between them and another girl. They only worked because Hermione was there to bind them together. Sure, Harry and Draco would likely remain friends, but never to the depths that they were currently.

Draco felt the trickle of magic emanating from Hermione's core, much like they had felt from Harry when they had been bringing him back. This caused Draco to pour even more of his core magic into Hermione, Harry following suit even though he had far less to give. They both wanted her back and would do whatever it took to get her back.

Draco could feel her magic getting stronger and stronger until he just couldn't pour anymore of his magic into her without permanently damaging his core. He was sure that it had been enough to save her life, enough to have her wake up in a short period of time like Harry had. Therefore, he pulled back when he could give no more. However, the backlash of his magic retreating from Hermione and back into himself felt like a Mack truck had struck him head-on.

The last thing that Draco remembered before the darkness engulfed him was the flare of magic he felt from both his mates.

-O-

Severus knew that he would be portrayed as a monster when he finally went on trial for his crimes against humanity. Rodolphus' death would prove this to be the truth, but he would be the first to admit that he didn't care. Hermione was his daughter and he had rightly justified her death after the Death Eater had snuffed her life out like nothing.

When he turned to make his way to his daughter's side, he saw that Potter and Draco had their hands on her chest much the same way when they had done to her when they healed after Dolohov's attack on her. Hope flared in his chest as he rushed to their sides.

He didn't dare interrupt whatever magical exchange was occurring.

The whole of the Great Hall was silent as the watched the two wizards do their best to revive their beloved. Severus couldn't help but wonder if he was imagining things when his daughter began to glow slightly. He was sure that he was hallucinating when he thought that she took in a breath. Severus could only watch in trepidation as both Draco and Potter removed their hands from her chest. It was like watching a stunning spell hit them but without a wand.

Both young men swayed on the spot, their eyes rolled back in their heads, and fell in a dead faint next to Hermione.

Nobody wanted to make their way to the young trio, honestly, Severus thought they were probably nervous about what they would find. He couldn't blame them. However, he couldn't not know. The Slytherin rushed forward, Lucius not far behind him. He went to his knees next to Potter, Lucius falling the same way next to Draco. Lucius let out a relieved breath.

"Draco is alive." Severus felt at Potter's neck and found a steady pulse. Next, he moved to his daughter and felt the tender skin of her neck.

There was a pulse.

Severus let out a whoop before calling out to the Great Hall.

"They're alive. We need healers now!" Minerva had apparently anticipated that they would be needed and opened the floo wide open. She stuck her head into the flames for only moments before she stepped back, and a barrage of healers came through. Apparently, the witch had summoned them from St. Mungo's. It was clear that Madam Pomfrey would never be able to treat the sheer magnitude of patients from the battle today.

Three healers rushed forward, seeing them on the ground. Each one went to one of the three teens and started casting diagnostics on them. Severus refused to be parted from them until Kingsley and Moody came up behind him and pulled him to his feet by his arm pits. Moody, the same rat bastard that had always doubted him before, growled in his ear.

"Your guts were almost decorations for the floor. That lass down there isn't going to be happy to wake up and find that her father died after the battle because he was too fucking stubborn to get treatment." Severus knew that he was right but needed confirmation first.

"Tell me, are they going to live? Is my daughter going to live?" The healers working on Potter and Draco were the first to speak.

"These two are fine, just physically, mentally, and magically exhausted. They likely won't wake for a few days, but they should be fine." The older man that was working on Hermione looked a little more grim.

"Your daughter is alive, in fact, she appears to be in no danger now. She too is exhausted in every way, but she is also in a coma. Until we can get her somewhere where we can conduct more tests, I have no way of knowing if it's permanent or just how much damage has been done to her magical core." Severus couldn't bear the thought of his daughter not waking up, couldn't even imagine her living the life of a squib if she had burned out her core. Lucius stepped forward.

"Go get healed, Severus. I'll make sure that no expense is spared for these three. Would you rather her stay here or go to Mungo's?" Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he could feel the pain seeping into his abdomen.

"I would prefer that she stay here if possible. However, the three of them must remain together. It helps them to heal quicker." Lucius nodded his agreement.

"I'm fine with leaving Draco here if that's your wish." Sirius stepped forward, Remus on his heels, clearly the pair of them having just made it through the crowds to get to their sides.

"Hogwarts is fine for Harry as well. It's imperative that they remain together and be somewhere comfortable. Not to mention there will be less press here."

Minerva stepped forward to begin issuing commands to the survivors, but Severus paid her no mind. His daughter was alive, although it was unknown in what condition, the Dark Lord was dead, Albus was dead, and he was injured, probably bleeding internally. He was just about to step forward towards the healer beckoning him when three aurors stepped forward, wands held aloft.

"We're sorry, Professor, but we're going to have to take you and Mr. Malfoy to the Ministry holding cells to await trial. We all know that the pair of you have the Dark Mark, confirming you as Death Eaters." Severus couldn't believe that they weren't even going to allow him to be healed first. However, this became a feat for the aurors involved since Minerva, Moody, Remus, and Sirius stepped forward and blocked their way.

"You're not taking these men. You're going to schedule their trial dates and then they will show up at the slotted time. Their children are injured, and they killed only Death Eaters here today. Both have been helping us and Dumbledore to bring about this conclusion for quite some time." The closest man began sputtering his response.

"Ma'am, I understand that it isn't fair to take them in like this, but it wasn't fair to their victims for them to remain unpunished either. This is justice." Kingsley stepped forward now, even though Severus could tell that Moody wanted nothing more than to lay into the aurors, a rare show of loyalty that he would never have expected, least of all to himself and Lucius.

"As the Head Auror, I am ordering for you to stand down. Return to the Wizengamot and tell them that I will be in later with a full description of the day's events and what is going to happen from here." Severus could only sigh in relief. He would get to see his daughter. Lucius looked similarly relieved. The Slytherin headed for the healer once more, more determined than ever to be healed so he could sit with his daughter and godson. Even Potter waking up would be a welcome sight.

It had been heart-wrenching, exhausting day but there was no way that he would ever forget the cheers and catcalls celebrating their victory as he left the Great Hall, his children and Lucius, Black, and Lupin following behind him.

A/N- Lordy, I struggled with this chapter. I'm happy to report, however, that there is only one more official chapter. *Sigh* Anyways, I hope it met your expectations. Leave me a message after the beep, reviews make me smile.

Next chapter, the aftermath.

Love,

Alicia


	47. Chapter 47

A/N- The end has arrived, my friends. Just two short epilogues to follow this. I want to send out heartfelt thanks to those that have read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this labor of love. You guys have kept me going. I'll hush for now, I want to bang this chapter out!

** Shout out to Maddieee for being my 1200th reviewer! Thanks bunches! **

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing but the personal plot twist. Ain't nothing new under the sun, or so my mama always tells me.

Chapter 47

April 27, 1996

Severus wiped a hand down his face again. It seemed that he did that a lot these days. He was currently seated at the bedside of his daughter, Potter and Draco on the other side of her, waiting for her to either wake up or for the healers to confirm that she wasn't going to. Either way it went, the waiting was complete hell.

The Slytherin had been cleared of all charges just three days after the Battle. Apparently, when Minerva had transitioned into the Headmaster's office, clearing out all Albus' things for his brother to retrieve, she had discovered quite the array of memories stored away. When she viewed them, it was clear that they were for this very point in time. They all showed that Severus was coerced into spying to protect his infant daughter and that he had begged to be released from his service multiple times. His actions since his daughter had come into the picture was less documented, but Harry, Draco, and Minerva had been more than willing to put their own memories forth and testify on his behalf.

After watching their memories of the last eight months, realizing just how it was that they were able to take Voldemort down, the charges were dropped without further ado. The same could not be said for Lucius, however. Although he wasn't apprehended, he was still sent a trial date that was set to begin in the end of May. He had already set his solicitor on the task of doing his best for him. There had been talk about doing the same to Narcissa since she had played host to the megalomaniac but so far there had been no charges filed.

Draco and Potter had both woke up two days after the Final Battle, refreshed as ever. Both were confused as to why they were in the Hospital Wing, especially since they had both been sure that Hermione would wake shortly after they healed her, just as Harry had. Severus had been quick to point out to them that the deciding factor in that was Hermione. While Harry and Draco had done their best to heal her and bring her back, Hermione had been present for bringing Harry back. Everyone understood the witch had more power than both boys, therefore, she was able to push more power into Harry. While the boys had managed to bring Hermione back from death, Harry had already died, Draco had already brought him back, and they were both part of a magically exhausting duel. When he put it that way, both boys weren't surprised when she was still sleeping six days later.

The healers were flummoxed at exactly how this phenomenon had even occurred. By all rights and reason, Harry and Hermione should not have survived, not after being hit by the killing curse. Yet, it had all happened in clear view of the Great Hall, as had witnessing Harry rise afterwards to end the Dark Lord. Severus tried to explain the link the trio had, tried to tell them that Hermione was the most powerful witch since the founders, including the Dark Lord. Even though he made the points that he thought would help them to understand, they didn't. Since Harry and Draco had woke four days ago, they had just left her in their capable hands.

The pair now tried to heal her daily. They reported that they could feel her magic growing stronger every time, dispelling any fear that she would now be a squib. The only way that Severus could make any sense of this was that Hermione was having to use more of her magic to bring herself back. Even though he worried that she wasn't going to wake up, both boys were adamant that she was. Today was their estimate and Severus hoped against hope that they were right.

The Hospital Wing had seen an array of visitors. Sirius and Remus were frequent, several times a day. They brought an array of flowers, chocolates, and plushy toys. It was clear that the pair cared for Hermione as much as he did. Lucius was there constantly, telling everyone that he was there to support Draco. While this was most certainly the truth, it was quite clear that he had a soft spot for Hermione. Minerva stopped in several times a day as well, mothering everyone that happened to be there at the moment. It was quite exhausting.

Students abound came to see how their saviors were doing. They were happy to have something good to focus on since there had been so many casualties during the battle. Even though they annoyed Severus to no end, he couldn't bring himself to order them away and tell that they were disturbing his daughter's peace. He wanted nothing more, however, peace and quiet. The last thing that he wanted was to make his daughter angry when she discovered what he had done.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking visitor they had was Theo Nott. Thoros had been killed in the final battle, The Battle of Hogwarts as it was now being hailed, by Lucius Malfoy. They had always been friends but when the older blond had realized that Thoros was out for revenge against the witch his son loved, he had no other choice but to handle things his own way.

The young Slytherin was now alone, no family save Hermione. Severus knew that she considered him family and that he was going to have to welcome young Nott into his arms, much the same as he had Draco and Potter. He found that he didn't mind; Nott had turned on his father to help the girl that he had just recently discovered as his sister for no other reason than he wanted family.

Theo was heartbroken; he was terrified that his sister was never going to wake, that she would have to live in the ward at St. Mungo's for the impaired. Severus had to admit that he had the same fear, but he couldn't help but hope that Draco and Potter were correct that she would be waking. Theo sat at her side for hours, his only company Severus, Draco, and Potter. He seemed to bear no ill will towards Lucius when he visited but wasn't overly friendly with any of them. He seemed more affected by Hermione's coma than her mates were.

The Weasleys all visited daily. Severus couldn't help but sneer every time he saw them coming. They were loud and obnoxious and seemed overly familiar with his daughter. He knew that she considered them family as well but there were only so many annoyances that the Slytherin could put up with while he was unsure as to how his daughter was faring.

The Weasleys had managed to not lose a single member. It was clear that Ginny hadn't been involved in the Battle, she had been at Madam Pomfrey's side the entire time. Ron had been taken out of the Battle before it had even begun due to his severed arm. As far as Severus knew, he was still in St. Mungo's while they tried to come up with a viable option for his arm. Molly was apparently devastated at his injury, but Severus didn't care. The little bastard had tried to rape his daughter; as far as he was concerned, he deserved everything he had received.

The twins had received minor injuries from trying to take on Jugson and Rowle. In the end, they had been successful, no mean feat for going against such skilled Death Eaters, but they would both bear scars for the rest of their days. The middle child, Percy, had escaped entirely unscathed but Severus also didn't think that he had seen any real battle. He had shown up with the auror contingent and the last Severus had seen, he had been dodging spells.

The dragon-tamer, Charlie, had received a serious gash to his leg, nicking his artery. By the time he had reached the healers, he had come close to losing consciousness. Bill had tangled with Greyback, taking a slash from his claws to the face. It was a horrid scar but from the way he had heard the oldest Weasley talk, he wasn't too broke up about it. He had been thrilled to escape with his life.

Arthur had broken several bones in his dangerous dance with Mulciber. Since the Death Eater was now dead, he was sure that the patriarch considered it an even trade. Molly had taken on the Carrows, together, and defeated them soundly. If she hadn't been such a complete bitch to his daughter, Severus would have happily congratulated her on her efforts.

Most of the upper level Death Eaters had perished in the Battle, none of them wanting to be taken alive. They were well-aware that Azkaban was a fate worse than death. However, the lower-levels had been more than happy to throw their wands to the ground and beg for mercy from the Ministry. Severus had a feeling that that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

The casualties were high; Severus' heart hurt when he considered the students that had been killed. He knew that his daughter was going to feel beyond guilty when she learned their names; even though he had played no part in the deaths, Severus did. The guilt was unbearable at times but there was nothing that he could do about it.

Severus had been happy to hear that among the Death Eaters killed had been one Viktor Krum. While he couldn't stand the Brown girl in the least, he didn't wish that fate on anyone. She had been trying to silence Weasley and she had paid the price for his stupidity. It was quite saddening but that was how the Dark Lord had worked. Complete control could be attained when your subject knew that you had something over them, something that they cared about. Much the same as Dumbledore had done to him.

Severus wanted to vomit when he thought about the fact that Dumbledore was being hailed as a hero that had fallen in the fight, doing his utmost to protect his students. It was the furthest thing from the truth, but he wasn't sure if they should dispel their public's notions. He wanted to consult with his daughter; she was the one who knew all his secrets after all.

Potter, Draco, Hermione and himself were also being hailed as heroes, something that Severus hadn't expected at all. He was the son of the Dark Lord, she was his granddaughter, and he had thoroughly expected for the public to be repulsed. This wasn't the case, however. The papers all spoke of their bravery and turning their backs on their family, other such rot that fell along those lines. Severus had quit reading the Daily Prophet after the first article.

The Head of Slytherin was pulled from his thoughts by a groan on the bed. His daughter was stirring, her breathing speeding up, her head moving side to side slightly. She was currently surrounded by Draco, Potter, Theo, Black, and Lupin. There had been another group there just ten minutes before, but they had been ushered along by Madam Pomfrey, stating that too may visitors clogged up the Hospital Wing. Draco and Potter each took one of her hands and waited for her to come completely around.

When her eyes opened, the bright blue color was the most beautiful sight in the world.

"Wh…Where a-a-am I?" Her voice was scratchy from disuse, but Severus didn't care. She was awake and the two boys clinging to her had assured him that her magic was stronger than ever. Draco leaned over and brushed her long curls away from her face.

"You're in the Hospital Wing. We're all here with you." One of her healers noticed that they were now speaking to her and rushed over.

Severus wasn't a fan of this man; not only was he arrogant and under the impression that healers was Hermione's only option, Healer Cloy felt that neither he nor Harry or Draco knew what they were talking about regarding Hermione. While he could understand that he had every right to be skeptical, he had no right to treat the three of them like they were filthy liars.

"Back away, let me run a diagnostic!" Even though they all shot the man a dirty glare, they moved out of his way, so he could reassure them that Hermione was indeed well. Severus watched for several minutes as the healer did his best to find something wrong with his daughter and he couldn't help but think that the man looked disappointed when he turned back to them.

"I can find nothing wrong with her. Her body is in excellent condition, her magical stores are higher than any witch or wizard I've ever seen, and the nutrient potions have worked wonders on keeping her nutrition up to par. All in all, she's recovered completely even though she just woke up. It boggles the mind." Severus only smirked at the man and his obvious confusion. Both boys were quick to help Hermione sit up and Severus worried when a grimace crossed her features.

"What's wrong, sweet?" She finally settled against the pillows, now upright. Her face cleared once she was settled.

"I'm stiff as a board. I feel like I've been laying in the same position for a week." Severus couldn't help but chuckle as he moved forward to take one of her hands in his since the two boys had settled on the bed next to her.

"You've been laying there for six days. We'll get you a muscle relaxing potion. That should help." The healer took his hint and scuttled off to retrieve the appropriate potion. Hermione turned her attention to everyone gathered around her.

"What happened? I remember hugging Draco and Harry and then nothing. I wake up six days later?" Harry brushed his fingers against her neck.

"Rodolphus used the killing curse on you while you were hugging us. You were hit in the back and dropped. Draco and I healed you just like you healed me." Severus watched as his daughter fell silent. It was clear that that wasn't the response she had been anticipating.

He waited patiently for his daughter to process their words. He really couldn't blame her for being stunned silent.

-O-

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to think of the fact that she had technically died. Of course, she knew that she had. Her parents had appeared before her, telling her how proud they were of her and how happy they were that she had found Severus. She had wanted to stay with them forever, but they had urged her to return.

At the time, she hadn't realized just what kind of choice she was being offered. She hadn't realized that if she stayed there with them in limbo that she wouldn't be able to return to the land of the living with Draco and Harry. She would never again see her father or her brother, Remus, or Sirius. After her parents had realized that she wasn't connecting the dots, they had urged her to return so she could live a long and happy life with her friends and family.

Hermione was unsure if she wanted to share her experience with everyone. While she was quite sure that not a single person would blame her for keeping the whole thing private, she was sure that she would want to know if they had experienced something similar. When she thought about it like that, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if Harry had visited his parents as well. She doubted that they had appeared to him in the backyard of her family home, however.

"I know I was dead. I just wasn't sure how. What happened to Rodolphus?" Everyone shifted their eyes, unwilling to be the person that gave her the harsh truth. Finally, it was Sirius that broke the silence.

"Your dad killed him, poppet. He did it in such a way that our whole world knows what will happen to them if they do something to you." Hermione swung her gaze to her father, noting that his eyes were on their hands rather than her face. She gave him a squeeze, making him finally meet her eyes. She gave him a small smile.

"I love you, daddy." He smirked back at her, before answering her.

"I love you too, sweet." She didn't say anymore about Rodolphus, she was sure that if she really asked around, it wouldn't be hard to discover exactly what had befallen the Death Eater. Just as her thoughst turned to the causalities that there surely were, her father spoke again.

"How did you know that you were dead, sweet?" Hermione met his gaze again and considered what her answer should be. Since only those closest to her were present, she decided to answer truthfully.

"I woke up in the backyard of my childhood home to find that my parents were waiting there for me. They told me how proud they were of me, how much they loved me, and told me that they were thrilled that I had found my real father. They urged me to come back and live the rest of my life with my mates, my brother, my father, and friends. I wanted to stay for awhile since I didn't realize that I was dead, but they told me that if I stayed with them then I would never see any of you until you had passed through the veil. I chose life." They all stared at her, completely gob smacked. Remus was shaking his head in disbelief.

"There's no bloody way, it just isn't possible." Hermione understood where he was coming from. He was the most logical person she knew aside from herself and her father. If he had believed her outright she would have been surprised. Before she could speak, however, Harry interrupted.

"I know it's true. My parents came to me at King's Cross. They told me how much they loved me and how proud of me they were. They told me that they would never be disappointed if I came back, that I deserved to be happy with Hermione and Draco. My mother wanted to ask Hermione to always take care of me since I am so much like my father and can't take care of myself." Hermione bit back a laugh when her father snorted. This earned him a glare from Harry, but nobody seemed to care. Remus and Sirius were grinning widely. Harry let the laughter die out before he spoke again.

"I also have a few messages to pass on." He turned to his two godfathers.

"My dad wants you two to quit blaming yourselves for their deaths. It wasn't your fault and he said that you have both paid dearly for your mistrust in each other. He wants you to remember him in happiness, not sadness." Hermione could see the silent tears running down both her honorary uncles' faces. They didn't bother hiding their emotional display and Hermione could only smile softly at them. She reached out her hand to them, determined to offer them some sort of comfort. First Sirius took her hand and let her squeeze it before releasing it and letting Remus do the same. Once they released her, they moved to hug Harry simultaneously. They remained that way for a full minute before they pulled away from each other, Sirius ruffling his hair playfully.

"That it, Prongslet?" Harry shook his head before turning his gaze to Severus.

"The other message is for you, sir." Hermione saw her father stiffen next to her, his gaze becoming hawkish. He gave Harry a sharp nod, indicating that he continue.

"My dad wanted me to tell you that he was a right git when you were in school and he knows that he was terrible to you. He said that he's sorry and he regrets it more than anything. He hopes that someday you can forgive him too. My mum wanted me to tell you that you need to move on and find someone that will love you like you deserve. She said that she wants you to be happy." Hermione knew what this would do to her father. It would either turn him into an emotional mess once all the doors were shut and he was alone, or he would strike out with a vengeance. Therefore, she reached out and took his hand in hers again, rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. When he looked up and met her gaze, there were tears in his eyes. They refused to fall, however, showing that he was still as stubborn as ever. Once he had composed himself, he looked up and ebony eyes met emerald.

"Thank you, Harry, for carrying their messages. From here on, you're Harry and I'm Severus except for in class. We're going to be family after all." Harry leaned over and hugged her father briefly, who instantly stiffened. Harry then pulled away laughing.

"You better get used to hugs then. Draco didn't have a choice. He doesn't even whine anymore." With that simple statement, the tension was broken and they all laughed. Once they were quiet again, Hermione asked the question that was bothering her.

"How many did we lose?" Just like that, they were all silent again. It was Remus that gave her the statistics.

"Our side lost thirty-three souls, fourteen of them students. The Dark side lost almost fifty Death Eaters and captured another fifty-six. They're all awaiting trial in Azkaban." Hermione felt her eyes water at the news.

"Who?" Remus started to shake his head, but Hermione lifted her chin defiantly. He sighed before answering.

"Those you know are Professor Flitwick, Professor Trelawney, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas, Lee Jordan, Cho Chang, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Pansy Parkinson, Mandy Brocklehurst, Hannah Abbott, and Vincent Crabbe. The rest of the students weren't ones that associated with you." Hermione felt her throat constrict. She had been the ones to advocate that the students fight. It was her fault that they were dead. But she had to know the rest.

"Who else? The Order?" Sirius sighed, rubbing a hand down his face before he answered.

"Dumbledore, of course, but you knew that. Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, and some members you never met before. They all died heroes and will be recognized as such." Hermione was not taking her turn in scrubbing her face.

"It was all my fault, I shouldn't have made the call to let the students fight. They're dead because of me." Draco shushed her before she could say another word.

"Princess, we gave them a choice and they made it for themselves. We didn't pressure them. Some of them left with the train and had no part in any of this. This was their decision and is in no way your fault." The rest of them were nodding sagely at his words so Hermione let it drop even though she didn't agree.

"How long has Lucius been in Azkaban? Is he going to get a trial?" Her father reached out and rubbed her foot reassuringly.

"He will receive a fair trial, sweet, but he isn't in Azkaban. Everyone stood between the aurors and Lucius and I when they wanted to take us in. I hadn't even been healed yet and they weren't sure what was going to happen with the three of you. He has a trial date set for the first of June, the first of the Death Eater trials if I understood correctly." She cocked her head to the side.

"What about yours?" He actually grinned at her, completely out of character.

"Three days after they tried to arrest me, they dropped all charges against me. Apparently, Minerva was moving things out of Albus' office and found his secret stash of stored memories. He had all the memories of me begging to be set free, that I didn't want to spy anymore, that I didn't want to be a Death Eater. Then Harry, Draco, and Minerva put forth all their memories since the start of this school year. Once they had viewed them all, they dismissed all my charges. You're going to have to deal with me for the rest of your days."

Hermione laughed and leaned forward so she could throw her arms around his neck. Even though she had proclaimed that she knew he would be found innocent of all charges when they were brought against him, she had still been worried that the Wizengamot wouldn't care about the truth and convict him anyways. This was even better since he didn't even have to appear before the court. Her father hugged her tightly for a few moments before releasing her to sit back in the pillows. The useless healer finally returned with her muscle relaxing potion. She took no time to throw it back like a shot of whiskey and gulp it down.

"So where do we go from here?" The rest of them weren't sure just what to say so it was her father that finally answered.

"We'll go the funerals, pay our respects, deal with the press, I'll go back to teaching until you three graduate, and you three will continue with your education. After that, it's all up to you." Hermione remembered the press at his statement. She couldn't hold back the groan.

"How much of a field day is the press having with this? With us?" It was Sirius that burst out in laughter.

"You three are heroes, as is your dad. The press has said nothing but positive things about you, praising you for your contributions to the war even though your paterfamilias determined that you should do otherwise." Hermione cocked her head to the side.

"Then why do we have to deal with the press?" Her father sighed. It was clear that what he was about to say wasn't something that he wanted to discuss at his moment.

"The press is also under the impression that Albus Dumbledore is a hero to all, sacrificing himself for the cause when the Dark Lord was determined to kill the three of you." Hermione felt her magic flare dangerously, everyone's eyes going wild for just a few moments before she was able to rein it in. When she spoke, her voice was low.

"We will not let him die a hero. Yes, he took on my grandfather but not because he wanted to protect us. He wanted to look good, try to cover the bad things he'd done. I'll be giving an exclusive interview sometime soon to the Daily Prophet to make sure that nobody labors under that false impression again. Fucking Albus Dumbledore." The rest of them laughed at her cursing, none of them too upset that she wanted to ruin the reputation of a dead man. After all, she had made it quite clear on numerous occasions that she was more than ruthless when she needed to be.

Before she could launch into another subject, Hermione heard the door to the Hospital Wing open and footsteps approaching her bed. When she lifted her eyes, she saw that her favorite professor was standing before her, a smile spread across her face. The woman didn't hesitate to open her arms and wrap Hermione in them, holding her tight and smiling.

"Hermione, I can't tell you how happy I am that you've come back. Merlin, we were so scared of what was going to happen to you." Hermione hugged her back just as fiercely, her eyes squeezed tight to contain their liquid emotion.

"I was completely fine, just gathering my strength and magic. I have to ask, even though you're going to be Headmistress, am I going to still be able to apprentice under you?" The Headmistress cupped her cheeks with her hands and smiled at her.

"Absolutely, dear girl. I hope you'll be my replacement. I plan to only hire professors at a yearly contract until you decide that Hogwarts is your permanent home. Of courses, your family will be welcome. Maybe teaching at their own posts?" Hermione cocked her head to the side, not understanding just what the Headmistress was saying. The older woman grinned broadly.

"I'm hoping that Mr. Malfoy will agree to apprentice under Severus and that Mr. Potter will agree to apprentice under Remus. When they retire, maybe they could take their places. No hurry, I know what it's like to be young, but just keep that in mind for the distant future. The three of you would be a great boon to Hogwarts and our nation's youth." Hermione found herself grinning widely at the suggestion but didn't wish to speak for either of her mates. Instead she focused on herself.

"Someday, I would be honored to take your position. Carrying on the tradition, you could say." The older witch's eyes gleamed with happiness.

"I know that you're still catching up, but I came to let everyone know that it was dinner time. I've been mothering this lot since you've been in here. I'm grateful to say that since you're awake you can have the job back. They listen to you better anyways." Hermione broke out in laughter at her words before nodding.

"As you wish, Professor." As she watched the wet eyes of her professor blink away the moisture and try to herd everyone to the doors, she smiled. She urged Harry and Draco to go down to the Great Hall and inform everyone that she was fine and would up to visitors tomorrow. If she left it for the others to announce, there would be who knew how many students coming to see her, especially once she heard of how popular she had become.

Even though her mates agreed to accompany her father to the evening meal, her brother flat out refused. Therefore, he stayed behind while everyone else left, leaving them in near silence. The only sound heard was the faint monitoring charms of those that were still in serious condition in the Hospital Wing. Once everyone was gone, Theo stood and moved to sit next to her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she got comfortable.

"I was scared to death that I would never see you again, Hermione, that you would never wake up and tell me to fuck off again. You can't scare me like that again." She burrowed closer into his side and did her best to try to make him feel better.

"I know it couldn't have been easy for you, never in a million years would I think that. However, you must know that what I did was necessary. I couldn't allow that monster to live and rule all our lives like that." Theo nodded next to her.

"I know you couldn't. That's what I love about you, your sense of loyalty and knowing what's wrong from right." Hermione wrapped one of her arms around his waist and held him tight.

"Then trust me when I say that this is over, and we won't ever have to deal with Voldemort again. This is the start of a new life for us, Teddy." Her brother's eyes lowered.

"For you. Not for me. I'm still the no-good son of a Death Eater." Hermione slapped him lightly on his cheek to make him look at her.

"Don't you ever let me hear you say that again. You are not the no-good son of a Death Eater, you're my brother. Now that my grandfather is dead, we can tell the world who you are. Nobody will dare tear you down knowing that you're related to me." Hermione could tell that her words touched him and was unsure of the reason why. It was clear that he hadn't had a huge amount of love and affection in his life, but she had assumed that he had received it at the hands of his many conquests.

"If your claim me as your brother, I'll never complain about it again." Hermione laughed aloud at his words before throwing herself in his arms.

"As if I have a problem telling the world that those who belong to me will not be harmed. Did I tell you that that means verbally as well?" Theo laughed aloud before rolling his eyes good-naturedly at his sister.

"I don't know how those two put up with you." In a rare show of dirty humor, Hermione waggled her eyebrows at him.

"Do you really want to know?" Theo stole one of her pillows and began hitting her over the head with it, causing her to retaliate in much the same way.

Even though Madam Pomfrey didn't generally approve of such tomfoolery in her Wing, she couldn't help but to sit back and smile at their display.

Maybe things would be alright after all.

-O-

Severus couldn't believe that he had allowed his daughter to bully him into leaving the Hospital Wing to go eat in the Great Hall. It was still heavily damaged, but they had been able to fix it enough to get them through until the end of the year when they could fix it properly. He waited impatiently at his seat for his food to appear, so he could eat and then return to his daughter's side. Even though she was now awake didn't reassure him that she wasn't in any danger.

Severus turned his attention to Minerva, hoping that she would call for the food to be served any moment now. Instead, what he saw pissed him off. How dare she? She was cocking her eyebrow and motioning from the podium to himself with her eyes. He caught her meaning clearly. Make the announcement that his daughter was fine. It was rightfully his responsibility since she was his daughter but that didn't mean that he had to like the fact that he would lose the privacy they currently had. Glaring at the Headmistress, Severus rose to his feet and approached the podium, casting a sonorous charm on himself.

"I wanted to inform you all that just a couple hours ago my daughter, Hermione Snape, woke up from her coma. She is deemed to be quite healthy and her magic is at levels that the healers have never seen. Let this be a lesson that good will always triumph because there is no doubt that my daughter is anything but."

Severus knew that they were all aware of his daughter's paternity. They knew that she was the long-lost daughter of Alexandra Nott, sister to Theodore. They had even figured out that she had used her position as granddaughter to the Dark Lord to exploit him and trick him, leading him to his death. It was saddening that everyone knew her darkest secrets but at the same time is was so liberating. He could now hug and kiss his daughter in public and there was no chance in the world that someone would be sickened by it. Well, he supposed that there were the odd ones out there, but nobody would dare openly complain about his attentions to his daughter as they would have before.

The cheers that went up through the Great Hall were thunderous; there was no way that Severus could have anticipated this kind of response to her recovery. Even the Slytherins were on their feet and cheering loudly. It was clear that the student body still adored her even after her duplicity. He knew that she had worried about that.

As he listened to the crown continue to go wild, Severus came to a final conclusion. His daughter would be loved for all time and the thought of that made him happy. She had Harry and Draco, both swearing to keep her safe and love her. Theo was her brother and had made plenty clear that his sister was more important than just about anything. It was clear that the public wasn't going to throw her under the bus just because of who she belonged to. For this, Severus was grateful.

Life was good, the war was over, and the lines between dark and light had been crossed and redrawn, and the light had prevailed. The cheers that were still resonating from the students confirmed that it was indeed a time for celebration. Therefore, Severus called for a house elf and ordered a fire whiskey.

In his opinion, it was a drink well earned.

A/N- There you have it, folks, the last official chapter. I kind of want to cry. I have two short epilogues planned for this story, I can only hope that you enjoy them. Please leave me a review and tell me what you thought of it. Reviews make me smile.

Next chapter, Harry's birthday.

Love,

Alicia


	48. Chapter 48

A/N- The first of the epilogues has arrived! It won't be anything too special, just a chapter that further shows the ripples that the end of the war has had upon the wizarding war. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those that have read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Your support has been the only thing that has driven me to get through this fic.

Disclaimer: Nothing from this fic belongs to me except for the twist on the plot. All tropes have been done thousands of times before I assure you.

Chapter 48

July 31, 1996

Hermione couldn't be happier. It was finally Harry's sixteenth birthday and they were all celebrating with a large party in just an hour's time. To say that the bespectacled Gryffindor deserved it was an understatement that she had no inclination of making.

Life for their triad had become increasingly busy. There had been interviews following her stay in the Hospital Wing, setting the public straight about Albus Dumbledore, testifying at Death Eater trials, burying the dead, and taking their O.W.L.s on top of their everyday school work. To say that it was exhausting would have been a term that Hermione wasn't entirely comfortable with.

As devastating as the war and the Battle of Hogwarts had been for everyone, their world was slowly returning to what it had been like before her grandfather had returned. There was still prejudice, that would never go away completely, but things were getting better. The blood purists that weren't implicated as being followers of the Dark Lord still avoided muggleborns, but they were far less vocal about it. The world would never be perfect so for now, Hermione was happy with the changes thus far.

Lucius' trial had been front page news when it finally began. It had lasted for a week, surprisingly long for a known Death Eater. Countless victims had come forth and testified about the evils he had committed, and his solicitor had allowed them all to talk, to tell their stories. The court room had been floored, however, when Mr. Toomey had stood and told them the story of how Lucius had turned on his master when he learned that his son was in love with a half-blood.

The silence in the room had been deafening.

While the crowd was quiet, Mr. Toomey had went on to tell them how he had betrayed his master and began passing information to Severus and Hermione, playing an instrumental part in the finding of two of Voldemort's horcruxes, neither one being possible if he hadn't played his part. Memories from Severus, Harry, Draco, and herself were submitted and shown to the Wizengamot. Several other Order members also put forth memories of the Final Battle where he was dueling Thoros Nott, killing him mercilessly because he was targeting Hermione.

All in all, Hermione had expected worse. When the Wizengamot returned after a full day of deliberation with a verdict of ten years' probation, she had been thrilled. He was mandated to pay restitution to the families that he had harmed, attend meetings with a mind healer for two of the ten years, and submit to a monthly check of his wand. While the older Slytherin wasn't the happiest about his sentence, he was more than happy to comply if it kept him out of Azkaban.

This lenient sentence hadn't been handed out to any other Death Eaters. Most of the ranking Death Eaters had been killed during the battle but the lower level followers had all surrendered, hoping for mercy she was sure. This hadn't been the case. Most were remanded to Azkaban and the dementors for a period no shorter than twenty years. There had been a single Death Eater that had only received ten years because he had been marked only a month before the battle and had only participated in one raid. Overall, Hermione thought that the Ministry had handled it nicely.

The funerals had been the worst though.

Staring into the faces of those lost as they were being lowered into the ground had been heart wrenching to say the least. Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Severus had all attended every single funeral that had fought bravely on their side, usually Harry or Hermione standing and saying a few words. Dean's had been particularly difficult since they had all counted him as a friend.

Everyone had banded together and attended Thoros Nott's funeral with Theo. There was really nobody else to go to it except for Theo and Hermione had refused to let him go alone. At first, she had only figured that Harry, Draco, and her father would attend with them, but she had been pleasantly surprised to find that Remus, Sirius, Neville, Luna, and most of the Weasleys went with them. Even though Theo hadn't said anything about it, she knew that he had appreciated it beyond measure.

Lavender's funeral had been the most difficult. Not because Hermione had been her friend or even particularly liked her but because the witch had suffered her torment in the most public way, had been disrespected and snuffed out as if she was nothing for no other reason than to make Ron suffer. Suffer he did.

The healers had been unable to reattach his arm since Lestrange had burned it to ashes there on the table in the Great Hall. Specialists had been called in to see if it could be regrown, but it had been a hopeless endeavor. Whatever spell that had been used on him made sure that it was permanent. There had been talk of a prosthetic, but it would never function like a real arm, it would be for aesthetic purposes only. Therefore, the redhead was now trying to relearn everything he knew already with his left hand. Last Hermione had heard, it was going decently for him.

The bit of news that surprised her the most regarding Ron was that he was now seeing Parvati. Hermione was unsure why the Indian girl would start dating her dead best friend's boyfriend, the person who seemingly had a hand in causing her death, but she tried not to cast stones. It wasn't her life so who was she to judge? Nobody else seemed to understand it either but everyone remained quiet on the matter.

Harry's party was being held at Grimmauld Place. Sirius was thrilled to finally be able to have a birthday party for his godson and had spared no expense. Hermione wasn't sure how many people he had invited but she knew that the party was going to be "epic". Sirius' term still made her giggle.

The Weasleys were all present, scattered throughout the house and the yard. The twins were boasting to everyone about the property that they had managed to secure in Diagon Alley for their new joke shop. Molly glared at them whenever she walked past and heard them, clearly disapproving of their career choice. The pair had only scraped out four N.E.W.T.s a piece and her disappointment was clear on her face.

Sirius and Remus were laughing at the twin's antics and descriptions. They were sitting extremely close and holding hands which Hermione could only smile at. It was clear that they had been scared to come clean about their relationship to Harry, but they need not have worried. Harry was the first to hug them and congratulate them on finally pulling their heads out of their arses.

Hermione smiled to herself. Her father was seated with Bill Weasley and they were discussing who only knew what. If it was possible, Hermione had only grown closer to him since the end of the Final Battle. She no longer felt guilty when she thought of her parent's deaths and she remembered them fondly. Speaking with them in the strange limbo that had existed in their backyard had given her a sense of closure that she hadn't expected. It was most welcome.

Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when an owl tapped on the kitchen window next to her. Seeing that there were three letters from the Ministry in it's clutches, she let out a squeal. There was only one thing that these letters could be, and she had been waiting for them since she had taken her tests. Everyone turned her way to see what had her so excited. Hermione paid them no mind and removed the letters, shoving the bowl of owl treats the owl's way. Sliding Harry and Draco their letters across the table, Hermione ripped into hers.

 _Miss Snape,_

 _The Ministry is sending you a copy of your O.W.L. test results in this letter. The original will be kept on file at the Ministry and a copy has also been sent to Hogwarts to remain in your student file._

 _Regards,_

 _Mr. Thomas Laney_

 _Head of Department of Education_

Hermione threw that letter on the table and eyed the paper behind it.

 _Hermione Snape_

 _O.W.L. results_

 _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

 _Potions- O_

 _Charms- O_

 _Arithmancy-O_

 _Ancient Runes- O_

 _Herbology- O_

 _Defense Against the Dark Arts- O_

 _Care of Magical Creatures- O_

 _Astrology- O_

 _Transfiguration N.E.W.T- O_

 _History of Magic- O_

Hermione couldn't contain her whoop of happiness. She stood and went to her father's side, thrusting her grades into his awaiting hands. He glanced at them quickly, a smile painting his features before he pulled her into a hug.

"I'm proud of you, sweet. Ten Outstanding, one of them a N.E.W.T. Very impressive. The downside?" Hermione cocked her head to the side in confusion. Her father laughed as he ruffled her hair.

"Minerva will never shut up over her new apprentice being the youngest person in Hogwarts history to pass their N.E.W.T." The room laughed at her flushed cheeks. She hurried to Harry and Draco's sides, so she could see their grades.

Draco had performed well, all O's aside from an E in Transfiguration, Harry with all O's except for Herbology. He seemed surprised beyond measure that he had scored an O in Potions, but Hermione hadn't been. He had improved immensely once he had started trying. Sirius came forward and bestowed hugs on all three students when another droll voice interrupted them.

"I hope you don't let them hug you like that in public, son. It would ruin your reputation." Even though Lucius' voice was serious, the corner of his mouth turned up in the smallest of smiles, showing that he truly wasn't angry. Nobody seemed to mind that he was there aside from a dirty look or two from Molly. The rest of their number had accepted that he was going to be a part of their lives simply because Draco was.

Narcissa didn't feel this way, however. Even though she had accepted that her son had fallen in love with two half-bloods, she wasn't quite sure why he had to keep company with blood traitors and general riff raff. Hermione knew that it hurt Draco that she wasn't supportive of his decision to leave his prejudices behind, but he hid it well. He still visited his mother twice a week, bringing Hermione and Harry as she permitted. In general, though, he was closer to his father now, something that he had never imagined happening.

"Let me see your scores." Draco was quick to hand them over, a smile breaking out over his face as his father praised him.

"Excellent job, Draco. Your mother will be proud." His smile fell a little at his father's words but nobody else caught it. Not many people knew that Narcissa was almost a sore spot for her son.

Since Sirius refused to let Molly cook in his house (he didn't trust her to not leave them high and dry if she got angry), all the other women were working together to bring food to the table. Hermione hurried to her feet to open the door for Tonks and Andromeda, allowing them to levitate numerous dishes outside to the picnic table. Ginny and Luna were right behind them, their arms full or numerous cutlery items. Professor McGonagall came next, trays of food following her.

Sirius called for them all to seat themselves and dig in.

It was a joyous affair, everyone stuffing their faces and laughing loudly. It felt like extended family had come to celebrate with them and Hermione could see that Harry was thrilled. Out of the corner of her eyes, Hermione caught sight of Draco's head bent next to his father's and Sirius'. She knew exactly what was happening.

Harry had confided in her that morning that Sirius had pulled him aside the night before after she and Draco had fallen asleep for the express purpose of asking Harry just what it was he wanted Sirius to do regarding his heir. The older Gryffindor had been all set to make Harry his official heir, passing on all the wealth, properties, and title that came with being Lord Black. Harry had asked him what his own inheritance looked like. Sirius had laughed and told him that the Malfoys were the wealthiest family in wizarding Britain, followed closely by the Blacks, then the Potters and the Notts.

Once he had his answer, Harry was quick to shake his head in the negative. He had told him that while he considered Sirius family, the inheritance needed to stay with a blood Black, therefore, if Sirius never had children then it should go to Draco. Sirius had agreed happily with Harry's wishes, promising to ask Draco that day if he would give his second son the name of Black so he could carry on the line. Hermione wasn't sure what the blond would say but she had an idea that he would happily agree if only to bring his maternal heritage to greatness once again.

Draco had a grin on his face and leaned into his cousin when Sirius laughed and threw his arm around his shoulders. Lucius looked thrilled with the development, not surprising Hermione in the least. The elder Malfoy was most-assuredly a businessman. When they pulled away, Draco leaned over and pressed a kiss to her neck.

"Hope you like having children. I just promised Sirius that we would have the Black heir as well." Hermione laughed as she leaned into his side and kissed his cheek.

"I do love children but not for quite a few years. I want to get my education out of the way." She could see her father glaring at Draco and Harry.

"Hermione is going to get at least three masteries before either of you impregnate her. None of us are ready to be grandparents." Both boys held their hands up in surrender.

"Hey, we want to get an education too. We don't want kids until we're married anyways." This seemed to appease everyone involved so the conversation went back to personal pursuits.

Hermione got pulled into a discussion with Minerva and her father about the latest discoveries in Transfiguration. She loved discussing academics with them since Harry and Draco weren't too interested in discussing their studies outside of the school year.

A couple hours passed, some of the students leaving the table to play the yard games that Sirius had gone into the muggle world to get. Fred and George seemed enthralled with lawn darts, much to Hermione's horror. Never being much of a participant when it came to games, the Gryffindor was happy to sit back and watch.

The adults were well on their way to being inebriated when Remus finally called them to open presents. Harry groaned good-naturedly, still not comfortable with receiving gifts from other people. His presents were opened in a flurry of wrapping paper, however, the opened gifts piled behind him. Hermione took numerous photos, hoping that she could remember who sent which gift, so they could send thank you notes.

Once the party was starting to wind down, Hermione called for Kreacher to come put Harry's gifts in his room. Sirius still had him, and they still hated each other. He was trying to convince Hermione to take him to Hogwarts with her, that he would be more than happy to let her bond with him, so he could procure an elf that didn't hate him because of his upbringing in the Black household. She was holding out on him since she really didn't want to own an elf but both Sirius and Kreacher were unhappy and she was sure that she would be capitulating in the end.

Hermione helped clear the table outside and was quick to set up the dishwashing charm in the kitchen. Ginny and Luna were helping to put the leftover food in the refrigerator while Tonks and Andromeda were cleaning the counters and the table. The Gryffindor smiled as she watched her family and friends outside in the waning sunlight, the sun already setting low behind the trees.

If life would be like this from now on, Hermione would be happy. She knew that there would be hard times and they would all argue. However, if they all had each other, everything could be overcome. Everyone here today had a future, a bright one, if they reached out and grasped it with both hands.

As for Hermione, she couldn't wait.

A/N- Short epilogue, like I promised. I hope it gave you all the glimpse that you were hoping to see a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts. Let me know what you think, reviews are love.

Last chapter, the ever-cliché sending the kids off to Hogwarts.

Love,

Alicia


	49. Chapter 49

A/N- Here we are, folks. The end of this story. I really want to cry but then I remember that I have a whole other story lined up, just needs a bit of refining. This is going to be cliché but hey, what do you do? Ha-ha, hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Chapter 49

September 1, 2016

Hermione was going to rip her hair out of her head and there would be nobody to blame but her children. Merlin love them, but they were enough to drive a witch to drink. Both sets of twins were currently yelling at each other over who set something somewhere and how it had become lost while her youngest child was just sitting back and watching with trepidation in his gaze. Harry and Draco were over at Luna and Ginny's house fixing something for them, leaving her with all five children to get ready. Finally, she raised her voice and brought them all back to reality.

"Enough! No more yelling." She heaved a deep sigh before continuing, calming herself as well.

"Lily didn't move your stack of parchment, I did. Aranea, your shoes are the landing. Please get your things together quickly because your fathers are going to be back soon, and we'll be heading to King's Cross." Her four oldest children all groaned and Hermione bit back a grin.

Her children hated that they had to go to King's Cross with the rest of the students. They had lived at Hogwarts during the school year since James and Lily were only a year old, leaving the castle for their summer home near Malfoy Manor. They wanted their parents to just apparate them to the school and save them all a trip. Hermione staunchly refused every year, however, citing to them that it was tradition.

Hermione had followed her father's wishes and received three masteries in only five years' time. Transfiguration was the first, followed closely by Arithmancy and finally Potions. Draco had jumped head first into an apprenticeship with her father while Harry studied under Remus to receive his Defense Against the Dark Arts mastery. They had traveled for a full year after their education had ended before finally agreeing to take over the posts of their mentors at Hogwarts.

Severus had been thrilled. If it hadn't been his daughter that Draco was with, he would have hounded him to take his spot sooner, but he had known that Hermione wanted to travel a little before settling down. Remus had retired a year before Harry took over, the chap that took over had been useless in comparison. The students and staff had been thrilled that he saw fit to take his mentor's place. Hermione had been offered the transfiguration position years before but to her utter surprise, Professor Vector had written her and told her that she wished to retire as well. While she did love both subjects, her heart lay in transfiguration.

The three of them had married before they had left for their year abroad and it had been hailed the wedding of the century. While Sirius and Lucius wanted to make it an event to remember, Hermione had put her foot down and demanded a small wedding that only saw close friends and family present, and a single reporter to publish photos. Even though there hadn't been more than a hundred guests, everyone still called it the wedding of the century.

A year and a half after taking their jobs at Hogwarts, the first set of twins had come. James Sirius and Lily Alexandra Potter had arrived kicking and screaming, making their presence in the world known. Even though they were biologically Harry's, Draco loved them as if they were his own. Harry was known as Dad and Draco as Father, keeping the situation as far from confusing as possible.

Sirius and Severus were thrilled. They loved them the second they were born and constantly fought over who was going to get to hold them next. Lucius, even though he had no claim over the twins, insisted that he get his turn and that they call him Grandfather. Hermione's heart had melted at that. Narcissa, however, didn't claim the Potter twins as her grandchildren and refused to let them call her Grandmother. She and Draco had had a falling out over it, him telling her that she wasn't going to treat their children any differently just because of who their fathers were.

Two years later, the second set of twins arrived, this set belonging to Draco. Whereas the Potter twins had been dark as night with Hermione's eyes and dark curls and Harry's features, Tigris Draco and Aranea Rose Malfoy were most certainly their father's children. Both had platinum hair, Aranea already sporting the curls from her mother. While her daughter had Hermione's blue eyes, Tigris had Draco's silvery grey eyes. In short, both sets of twins were stunning.

In a complete act of insanity, a year after Tigris and Aranea came another son born to Draco, Rigel Regulas Black. He was blessed with his mother's dark curls and Draco's grey eyes, almost passing as a double for a younger Sirius. The infant hadn't even been a day old before Sirius had changed his will and named Rigel as his rightful heir.

Narcissa had tried to convince Draco to let her come around after the Malfoy twins were born, and then again after Rigel. Draco told her again that if the Potter twins weren't going to be treated the same way as the rest of their children, he wasn't interested. She still hadn't seen any of the children in the flesh, only pictures that Hermione allowed Lucius to take home to his wife.

Surprisingly, Severus, Lucius, Sirius, and Remus had all become quite close following the war. There had been a few bumps along the way, but they played poker together and such things while Hermione and her mates had been in school or studying. That they all shared grandchildren was just icing on the proverbial cake.

Hermione had been unsurprised that James and Lily had been Gryffindor shoe-ins; they were loud, outgoing, brave, and reckless. Severus and Lucius were constantly berating them for not thinking before they acted; Sirius and Remus would just shake their head in a resigned way, knowing full well that no amount of scolding would change their ways. Tigris and Aranea were the same. The hat had barely touched their heads before it was screaming out Slytherin.

She hated to break it to Sirius, but he was going to remain the only Black to grace Gryffindor House until Rigel had children. He was a Slytherin through and through, Draco, Lucius, and Severus were all so proud of him that they could hardly see straight. To her complete surprise, Theo and Susan Bones' two children were also Gryffindors, keeping James and Lily company even though they were a year and two years older.

Ginny and Luna's children, a son and daughter, were both Hufflepuffs. Neville, the eternal bachelor, had agreed to inseminate both girls when they decided they wanted children if he could claim them as his heirs. They were more than happy to comply and both children knew who their father was. He had a good relationship with both and saw them all the time since he was the Herbology professor at Hogwarts.

The Weasleys had been prolific. They were all still friends with Hermione and her mates, got together as often as their lives allowed. Bill had married Fleur Delacour and had three children, all Gryffindors. Charlie had also formed a triad in Romania with two beautiful Russian women, their children going to school at Durmstrang.

Percy was still a bachelor while Fred and George had married Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. Each couple had three children and they all belonged to Gryffindor House. Ronald had married Parvati much to everyone's surprise. They lived just down the road from Arthur and Molly with their five children, two Ravenclaws, two Gryffindors, and a Slytherin. To say that there was surprise in the letters sent home the year Hugo had been sorted a snake would have been an understatement.

Overall, their lives were good.

Severus had opened his own apothecary after Draco took his place at the school. He sold only specialty potions and made a ridiculous amount of money at what he did. Sometimes, Lucius would swing through and help him for an afternoon, mostly because he was bored now that Draco handled most of the family business. Sirius and Remus had married shortly after the Final Battle and traveled a lot through the school year but always made it home for the summers, so they could see their family.

As much as her children drove her crazy, she loved them. They loved each other as well, making the fact that they were technically school rivals a small thing in comparison. With Draco as Head of Slytherin and Harry as Head of Gryffindor, they made sure to keep the rivalry friendly. Inter-house relations had become so much better than they were in their school days.

Minerva was still the Headmistress, hailed as the one of the greatest in the last two hundred years. Hermione had been sure that following Dumbledore was going to be tough but overall, it really hadn't been. She was still invited to family get togethers all the time.

"You all better be ready to go. Your fathers just walked in."

Harry and Draco had breezed through the doors, looking as sexy as they ever had. They had aged well and at thirty-seven they still had students that wrote them love notes. It embarrassed them both to no end but had learned to live with it. She herself didn't feel like she looked too bad. Perhaps a little softer through the middle, her breasts sagged just a little more but nothing that she hadn't expected after bearing five children. It had been worth it.

Harry stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, his mouth finding hers while his thumb came up to rub small circles on her nipple. Draco moved behind her and gripped her arse in his hands, squeezing tightly while his teeth nipped at her throat. Hermione still gasped at their attentions even after all these years. They broke apart by James lugging his trunk in.

"Ugh, you three are disgusting. We're your children, we don't want to see you kiss." Hermione just rolled her eyes while Draco waggled his eyebrows.

"Be glad that's all you saw, Jamie." James started acting like he was retching, much to the amusement of his parents. The other started to file in, lining up their trunks so Hermione could shrink them and put them in their pockets. They hadn't informed their children yet, but in two days' time, the story was going to break.

Hermione, Draco, and Severus had all corroborated for three years now on how to go about curing lycanthropy. Rigel had been devastated that his Grandpa Remus hurt so bad when he changed into a werewolf so the three had put their heads together to come up with a potion that didn't necessarily cure the wolf inside but kept the wolf from turning on the full moon. They had given it to Remus three days prior and had discovered that all their work had paid off. The last thing that the trio wanted to do was take away from the joy of returning to school and their friends.

The three adults held out their hands once all the trunks were in the pockets. James and Lily went to Draco, Tigris and Aranea to Harry, and Rigel to Hermione, grasping their hands so they could apparate to King's Cross. With the familiar suction, they appeared at the dingy station right alongside the Hogwarts Express. One by one, the trunks came back out of the pockets and the trio enlarged the trunks to their usual size, so they could be loaded on the train. Hermione shooed them away to find compartments and bid them to come say their farewells before the train left.

Not five minutes later, all five of her children had returned, Rigel looking more nervous that she had ever seen him. Her older children began hugging their fathers, so she pulled Rigel into her arms, so she could hold him close and whisper in his ear.

"You are going to be just fine, love. We don't care where you end up. All three of us, Uncle Neville, and Minnie are going to be there if you ever need to talk or whatever. You won't be alone and think of the advantages you have. You know most of the students already, just not the ones in your year. You know your way around and you know all the elves and secret passages. Everyone is going to want to be your friend." Her youngest son chuckled into her robes before giving her one last squeeze.

"Thanks, mum." He was shuffled off to Draco next while James and Lily wrapped her in their arms together. She hugged and kissed them both, telling them to do their best and reminding them that if they needed anything at all to come find her or their fathers. They gave her a resolute nod before Tigris and Aranea followed suit, hugging her together. She reminded them to do their homework and stay out of trouble, that they weren't going to get special treatment just because their father was their Head of House. The pair rolled their eyes but grinned at her good-naturedly before catching Rigel's hand in theirs, so they could lead him towards the train.

Hermione could see Theo, Bill, Ron, Ginny, Luna, and the twins down the line, all waving goodbye to their children as they boarded the train. Once all the children were hanging out of the windows to wave to their parents, Hermione couldn't help but let a tear slide down her cheek. Harry caught sight of it and laughed at her before brushing her curls back behind her shoulders.

"You're going to see them in six hours. You can't possibly be sad they're leaving." Hermione shoved him good-naturedly in the chest and mock glared at him before answering.

"No, I'm not sad they're going to school. I love that we'll be there to see them go to school. I'm just sad that we're getting old and so are they. Our baby is starting his first year. In seven years, all our children will be grown." Draco slid his arm around her waist before kissing her temple.

"I think Potter needs another kid. A baby would make you feel better. You're still young enough and definitely hot enough. Let's have another baby." Harry was nodding next to her. Hermione couldn't believe their words. Did she want another baby? Did she want to start all over again? Sleepless nights and dirty nappies…not that that had been a problem with the first five. Kreacher had been thrilled to care for her children and took it upon himself with no urging to care for them. All she had to do was carry a baby for nine months and then nurse it. She could do that, right? After what seemed like an eternity, she grinned and nodded.

"Let's have another baby." Both men let out whoops of joy which lead Hermione to believe that this had been what they wanted all along and had just used her emotional moment to secure it. Shoving both away from her, she scowled at them.

"Prats. You just played me." Both nodded, completely unrepentant at their actions. Deciding that they needed to get an early start on making the baby, they were due at Hogwarts in six hours after all, Hermione began jogging away from them. They appeared to be confused so Hermione yelled back at them.

"Let's go, we need to practice." Seeing her words damn on them was comical. They took off after her, ignoring the laughter of their friends and family. Once the pair caught her, they pulled her into simultaneous apparition, cutting off her peal of laughter.

Life was good.

 _Finite Incantatem_

A/N- Holy balls, this is the end. To everyone out there that kept me going through this story with your support, follows, favorites, and reviews, thank you from the bottom of my heart. This has truly been a labor of love and I can't tell you how many times I've almost quit because I was stuck or had writer's block. You guys kept me going and now it's finished!

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. For those of you that are interested in reading my next story, I will post an update here to let you know I've posted the first chapter. Be warned, though, this is going to be a Harmony story unless something seriously trips me up. I know that Dramione is my all-time favorite, but I love me a good Harmony fic too. I have a feeling it's going to be pretty long too. Anyways, enough about that, you'll see when I post the first chapter! Much love to you all.

Thanks again.

Love,

Alicia


	50. Chapter 50

Alright, friends. I have the first chapter of my new story posted. It's called Blinded by Lies. Check it out if Harmony stories are your thing.

Love,

Alicia


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